Veggie, fruit producer launches own brand

For 13 years that it had been in agricultural (vegetable and fruits) production, the AgriNurture Inc. (ANI), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, First Class Agriculture Corp., finally launched its own brand, Fresh Choice Always, to push in both local and foreign markets.

ANI-FCA president/CEO Antonio L. Tiu said the company has been a steady supplier of fresh vegetables and local fruits to SM and Makro. Now, “we would like to push our brand, Fresh Choice Always, to instill in the minds of consumers that freshness is just as important as price,” Tiu said.

“Also, it would be easier to push our expansion programs in the near future — such as franchising the FCA carts for better reach to consumers and setting up depots where consumers can buy vegetables that are not exposed to the elements but are not priced as high as supermarket veggies and those sold in specialty stores,” Tiu said.

To prepare for its future growth, the company plans to sell 15 percent of its authorized capital stock at P25 per share via an initial public offering. The company expects the Philippine Stock Exchange to approve its IPO bid by yearend.

“Our IPO is intended to raise funds to support our farm expansion and marketing innovations so that more Filipinos can buy fairly-priced veggies without having to wake up so early for a trip to either Balintawak or Divisoria,” said Dennis Sia, vice president and chief operating officer of ANI-FCA.

ANI currently operates 10,000 hectares of vegetable farms in Tarlac and plans to expand to other farms in the country either through leasing or contract growing. Its other farms are located in Pampanga, Bulacan, Zambales and Benguet and in the south, Bohol, Davao and Jolo. Its bodega and plant facilities are located in a two-hectare property in Pulilan, Bulacan, where they treated media to a plant tour Friday.

Established in 1997, ANI produces and exports agricultural products. Its subsidiaries are First Class Agriculture, Best Choice Harvest, Fruitilicious, Nutri-licious Marketing, Lucky Fruit and Vegetable Products, M2000 IMEX Co., an e-commerce website that will soon be launched via http://www.ani.com.ph.

FCA and Fresh & Green are the biggest suppliers of fresh vegetables to SM’s chain of supermarkets and hypermarket stores in Luzon, including SM’s in-house Bonus brand. FCA also supplies Makro supermarket and other buyers.