Guwahati: A Meghalaya-based food processing startup has created a range of healthy snacking options using dehydrated fruits, spices and honey by using an eco-friendly customized solar dehydrator for drying. It is to be noted that Rynsan Creation Pvt. Ltd., a startup from Meghalaya, has been chosen by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) to produce Spicy Dried Pineapple for the national promotion of Ri Bhoi Pineapple under the ODOP (One District One Product) scheme of the Government of India. NAFED is marketing the spicy dried pineapple throughout India, and it is also sold on Amazon.
The PRIME (Promotion and Incubation of Market Driven Enterprises) programme, which supports entrepreneurs in Meghalaya, has incubated Rynsan Creation Pvt. Ltd. According to the National Startup India Ranking 2021, Meghalaya was India's best performing state. PRIME Meghalaya has assisted more than 200 companies, given out more than Rs 5 crore in funding to business owners, and linked more than 150 entrepreneurs with mentors around the nation. Fruits that have been dried are the company's main product, and jams, honey, and spices are its supplementary offerings. The Savourit brand is used to market the goods.
MAKING PRODUCTS FROM WASTE:
"We continually find a way to create useful products even from the wasted parts or by products and they are in pipeline. We continually do research and development of all seasonal fruits and vegetables in such a way that nothing is wasted but everything is processed including the peel, pulp, core or seed and the juice. In this way we can also provide healthy & nutritious savoury food items which are organically grown. The idea is to gain maximum profit from every single fruit. Through our company we want to use technologies that are eco-friendly, which will also create social impact in terms of livelihood & ethical in business dealings" Raymond R. Lyngdoh Director & CEO Rynsan Creation Pvt. Ltd told Business Northeast.
OUR USP:
"We manufacture dehydrated fruits, spices and honey by using an eco-friendly customized Solar Dehydrator for drying our fruits and spices. We are one of its kind. We work closely with Self Help Group (SHGs) and individual entrepreneurs for sourcing of raw material as well as for primary processing.
Our effort is towards reducing spoilage & wastage of fruits, vegetables and other crops especially during their peak season by using our dehydration technology which increases shelf life and reduces transportation cost".
He said this type of food processing technology is crucial in the context of food security while also help farmers, self help groups and other community based organization in improving their income and livelihood.
The raw materials used are sourced directly from the local farmers from within Meghalaya. Maximum are sourced from Ri Bhoi District, while some fruits are sourced from Khasi Hills region and some spices from Jaintia and Garo Hills as well.
In the case of pineapple we source directly from a Farmer Producer Organisation(FPO) at a mutually agreed rate that are mutually beneficial. Fresh ginger are also procured directly from the associated farmers at the rate quoted by them but also affordable for us. In addition we also pay extra Rs 15/- per kg for peeling the ginger.
"I believe the farmers associated with us are happy because the prices are determine by them and not us. Only in cases that we know that the price is extreme and is beyond our margin then we decline procuring raw material at such point of time
"Several wildly grown indigenous fruits that are undervalued are being value added by us and made available to the general consumer almost all through the year. These products are totally free from chemicals" he said adding the Spicy Dried Pineapple, Ginger candy and Wild apple are its best products.
The pocket size ready to eat dehydrated fruits and all our secondary products are free from artificial preservatives and artificial colours or flavours. In comparison with a few other brands of similar products, ours is the most reasonable in price as we target the middle class consumer" he added.'
The products are sold through several general stores in Khasi hills & Ri Bhoi. "Our products are available in most Nari Essentials which is a chain of stores managed by the employees association of the East Khasi Hills Milk Union Cooperative Society" he said.
PRODUCT RESPONSE:
He said the response has been very good and we are trying to cope up with the demand by upgrading our manufacturing process and mechanizing it wherever possible. "In the next 2-3 years the company would focus more on branding our products so that it can make its presence pan India but for that we need more working capital and human resources as well" he said.
We started as a proprietor food processing enterprise in 2019. During this period we focused more on product development and trial marketing but also simultaneously we did good sales of our products. In February 2021 the company was incorporated. By then we realized the need to have a proper manufacturing unit and office set up.
"With the financial support from PRIME, we are currently in the process of transition and expansion. Setting up of infrastructure, putting in place the business processes, plant & machinery, human resources etc. will definitely take a while because everything that we do is from scratch.
FUTURE PLAN:
Our future is to expand and expand year after year. We want to make our presence felt in Meghalaya and in the country at large.
"We want to diversify our business in the coming five to six years and want to generate more employment for our youth. We want to maximize value addition of indigenous fruits/horticulture crops that are under- valued but organic and rich in nutritional values. We want to promote regenerative agriculture and thus in our small way we have already started working with small section of farmers advocating them in regenerative agriculture" he said.
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