HL Agro is a top-notch quality wide awake industrial entity & preferred exporter of sesame seeds & corn products hailing from India. Having been in the agro industry for nearly two decades. At HL Agro Products, the manufacturing units of sesame seeds and corn starch, corn syrup & derivatives are built on the norms of Good Manufacturing Practices and ISO 22000:2005 guidelines.
With a focus on delivering superior quality to seekers worldwide, the company is the most acclaimed manufacturer, processor and supplier of premium quality natural white sesame seeds, hulled sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, brown sesame seeds, maize starch powder, liquid glucose, corn germ/maize germ, corn gluten/maize gluten & dry-fibre.
The company’s comprehensive assortment of products are without injurious chemicals or pesticides and are phenomenal in nourishment. The industrialized facilities at HL Agro Products strictly follow quality assurance supervision methodology for foodstuff well-being and excellence assurance for cleaning, hulling and sorting the Sesame Seeds. And high processing and hygiene standards are maintained to ensure starch and derivative products meet superior quality standards.
The source is qualitative sesame seeds from the fertile region of Gujarat and the Indo-Gangetic plain of Uttar Pradesh. Maize, however is ingeniously procured from all over India, majorly from the fertile lands of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and the other major fertile regions of Northern & Central India.
The sesame seeds plant is capable of processing up to 22,000MT annually, whereas the starch and it’s derivatives plant boasts the corn-grinding capacity upto 110,000MT annually. Keeping into account unprecedented quality standards and securing competitive advantage on all levels, HL Agro confirms the accreditation under the FSSAI and the ISO22000:2005 for both the processing units. Also qualifies the certification by SGS (USDA Organic, India Organic and Apeda) for both processing and trading purposes respectively.
HL Agro Products is a part of multiple CSR activities with the lead of the company’s promoter-cum-director, Mr. Akash Sahu. Not missing a chance, Mithai & Namkeen Times happen to interview Mr.Sahu and the excerpts follow:
How is the food ingredient market for plant-based products faring in India &globally? What are the stressors influencing the markets at the present point in time?
Consumer brands are undergoing a major marketing transformation at present. Products intended to go in or on our bodies are no longer driven by tagline positioning. They are now fulfilling a different brand promise: minimal packaging, transparency in processing, sustainable sourcing, even incorporation of plant-based ingredients. If we talk about sesame seed, the demand is steady and growing thanks to its versatility and growing awareness about the health benefits. However, the global sesame seed industry is facing several challenges-poor yields, vulnerability to climate change, supply chain inefficiencies, in some cases infrastructure deficiencies. On the trade side, there are challenges as well, although in recent times through tendering and creation of warehouse in big markets like China many of the challenges have been successfully addressed.
The starch production, on the contraryis highly fragmented in India, with a variety of manufacturers offering different sources, grades and derivatives of starch as per their distinctive capacity levels. The growing consumption of convenience foods and the health year-on-year growth in the paper and textile industries are creating highly a fertile ground for the growth in corn starch sales across the world, but particularly in the Asia Pacific region. The Indian starch industries are however facing tough times in the recent years. A steep rise in the MSP of maize, up surging spot prices, subjacent corn yields are some of the alarming indices for the starch & derivative industry.
Has the market seen a rise/ fall in demand? If yes, then approximately by how much/ if not, then by how much? What are the reasons for the rise/ fall in demand?
The market for sesame seeds has increased drastically over the years. The mounting global demand for sesame seeds as a health-supporting natural food has lately increased the oilseeds exports. For years, India has been one of the forerunners in the global sesame market. However, market growth for sesame seeds is continually subdued owing to its low yields, oscillating prices and high dependence on climatic conditions.
The Indian crop of sesame seeds was short by 60% this year.This is mainly due to the poor climatic conditions in production regions in India. To market sesame seeds as a health supplement, is indeed a challenging task in the Indian perspective. The demography lacks awareness on the health prospects of the condiment. Hardly could you find the value-added sesame products like Tahini, falafel on the menu list of the Indian hotels.
In my opinion, the growing corn consumption, coupled with remunerative market prices over the past few months, has not yet translated into higher maize acreage during the 2019-20 cycle.Following the deficient supply & unprecedented price hike, the availability of the maize commodity for starch / poultry feed industry is becoming unviable and uncompetitive. I believe that the sub-optimal corn supply could potentially impede the growth momentum of the Indian starch industry and also hit exports.
What makes HL Agro stand out and steer clear of the impact caused by the various stressors?
As a family company, we look back on a long tradition and are well-rooted in the region.Fully automated processing facility armed with advanced machinery, pneumatic conveying & in-house laboratory, empowers us to host the necessary expertise and backbone for meeting any scale of demand for sesame & starch products. We seamlessly endeavour to model, optimize and simulate supply chain and transportation network operations and right-size inventory levels, to foster improvements in cost, service, sustainability & risk mitigation.
The agricultural commodity business is very competitive in India. Besides other factors, our strong bond with the producers and customers and adherence to strict quality controls across the supply chain set us apart from the rest.We source the raw materials directly from the farmlands, so our pricing is fair & reasonable as compared to the other contemporaries.
Relatively in India, food processing segment is quite organized. How has technology, research & development in the manufacturing of the goods played a vital role in your company’s revenue growth?
As a company, investments in factory plants is a priority. Process and technology development enableus to explore new manufacturing capabilities and improve process yields.
Safe food is fundamental to HL Agro’s business. Every aspect of the entire manufacturing process adheres to global best practices – a keen involvement at the sourcing stage, use of latest global technology and engagement with the best R&D experts.
Our commitment to safeguarding the wholesomeness and integrity of the products we produce and sell extends across our operations. Based on the norms of GMP, Food Quality & Safety, our processing units are at the forefront of technology and innovation, fully automated with state-of-the-art machinery.Our research-based manufacturing methods ensure that the nutritional and medicinal values of our products are safeguarded. As part of our quality assurance mandate, a state-of-the-art laboratory is operational onsite for physical, chemical & micro-biological testing of our products.
How is the market responding to the improvementsbeing made?
Our customers are in the food and beverage industry.We connect with them at different points of their valuechain and contribute to their growth by leveraging on ourextensiveingredient portfolio and knowledge base. New product development and applications, supply chain efficiencies,quality and reliability indices are just a few of those leveragepoints. We vision to bring in our unique value proposition throughcustomized ingredient solutions.
The expansion of our starch processing facility is underwayin Kanpur. We are planning to increase the production capacity of maize starch, & derivative sweeteners in view of the growing popularity of HL Agro’s product in the local & global markets.
What is your stand in the Food & beverage market as of today both in Indian as well as global landscape and what will be your growth projection 5 years from now?
At HLAgro, we envision to create sustainable markets for the plant-based food ingredients across the globe. We invest in manufacturing infrastructure and strategically harness innovation, technology and influencers to develop functional ingredients and optimize food preparations. Moving forward in our vision to tap different markets, we strive for continuous improvement in the manufacturing processes.
The expansion of our starch processing facility is another step of reaching out to our customers in India and abroad. As India is one of the fastest growing markets for the food ingredient industry, we expect our growth in India to double in the next 5 years.
Over the years, HL Agro has earned special accolades for its contribution to the agricultural economy. “Agri-Company of the Year” award from VCCircle News Corp is a testament to our efforts towards enhancing the market share of oilseeds & starch commodities at the national & global levels.
Anything you’d like to add?
At HL Agro, what we do is as important to us as how we do it. That is why corporate responsibility is part ofeverything we do. It is a company-wide commitment to contribute resources and apply our knowledge andexperience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever we operate.
Our company maintains a colossal green zone area to preserve nature, strictly monitors the industrial pollutants/ emissions & enforces the advanced waste management/ water treatment facilities to regulate its overall environmental performance. Dhamma Kalyan Centre is yet another example of our philanthropic CSR indulgence. The charitable meditation centre set up on the outskirts of Kanpur is seamlessly engaged in imparting Vipassana meditation, the most ancient “Art of Living” technique & helping thousands around the world to overcome stress, depression & violent tendencies.
President of India Shree Ram Nath Kovind was recently invited to inaugurate a new block to facilitate the housing & training of male students at our Vipassana Centre in Kanpur.