San Miguel enters Thai fruit juice market
has entered the Thai fruit juice market with the launch of the
Berri brand.
The company gained the Berri fruit juice products when it bought Australian firm National Foods last year. It has also completed a BT1.4 billion factory in Rayong, according to a report in the Bangkok Post, allowing it to introduce a new range next year. The company has previously outlined its strategy to expand operations in south-east Asian markets including Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. ''We will use Berri as a regional food brand in four countries, including China, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia,'' Jose Daniel Javier, vice-president and general director for San Miguel's non-alcoholic international business, told the paper. Thailand's fruit juice market is currently seeing good growth. Juice drinks have been growing annually by 10.7 per cent, reaching around 109 million litres in 2004 or $90 million, according to the US foreign agricultural service. The Berri brand will compete with domestic player Tipco, which claims to have a 43 per cent share of the high-end segment of 100 per cent fruit and vegetable juice. San Miguel also has plans to introduce Sun Blest, a 40 per cent fruit juice product made in the new factory, according to the report. The company is aiming for 5 per cent of Thailand's total fruit juice market in its first year of operations, with sales estimated at BT4 billion. ''We chose to expand our fruit juice business to Thailand as the first country because we see that Thailand's market is a very good opportunity, the premium fruit juice market is a growing segment and Thai people are more health-conscious,'' Javier told the paper. San Miguel also wants to enter the carbonated drinks, sports drinks, dairy products and drinking water sectors in Thailand. The firm already produces San Miguel beer in the country.
