Farm and dairy products by air...

[SN30952]

In India a company, Reliance, has roped in Air India's director to spearhead its fleet of cargo planes, which will be used to transport perishables, like fruits and vegetables, from its warehouses to the various retail outlets spread all over India.

Reliance plans to induct around 40 35-40 tonner cargo planes.
Reliance Industries, who is also planning to set up a small airport in Punjab to support this operation.

Isn't setting up a own cargo operation not a bit risky?
Why not try first with real cargo-professionals, and see how it works out?

[earthman]

I would almost suspect that it's very fashionable these days in India to have your own planes...

Seriously though, can't they just ship that stuff around using trucks with cooling?

[jan_olieslagers]

I would almost suspect that it's very fashionable these days in India to have your own planes...

Seriously though, can't they just ship that stuff around using trucks with cooling?

Perhaps you are underestimating the size AND temperatures of that country. By the time a truck loaded with eggs at Bombay gets tot Calcutta, all might have hatched, cooled or not.
No no this is really an opportunity for air cargo development, but why be so modest? Why not go for the biggest? A380F is the plane of choice for this business! And wouldn't it look lovely with some carrots, beetroot, onions and what not in the c/s?

[SN30952]

Perhaps you are underestimating the size AND temperatures of that country.

And do not underestimate the congestions on roads and railways.
Shipping it by sea around the subcontinent would alter the freshness...

Volume is one criterion, but speedy delivery is an other. I see more sizeable tractors, as Airbus' full cargo miltary version, equiped for perishables.

Note this would be 24/7 operations between dsipatch station of the already existing organisation.
Not all 1billion plus indians eat carrots daily, but if 7% do, than there is a market...

[teddybAIR]

Isn't it cheaper to just grow them massively and closer to the big cities. I mean, it must cost a hell per kilo to ship fruit and vegetables by air, given the pretty high volume of these items. Moreover cooling is needed, requiring special equipment such as cooled pallets which in their turn take up even more space. I smell a niche market for the traditional farmer in the indian market.

[Vinnie-Winnie]

Isn't it cheaper to just grow them massively and closer to the big cities. I mean, it must cost a hell per kilo to ship fruit and vegetables by air, given the pretty high volume of these items. Moreover cooling is needed, requiring special equipment such as cooled pallets which in their turn take up even more space. I smell a niche market for the traditional farmer in the indian market.

Well the apple I eat yesterday came from New-Zealand! The Beans you might have eaten the day before might have come from Chili! I find this rather strange knowing that transporting relatively low value items by air must double the price of your fruit and vedg! Still though transporting things by truck in India is a nightmare ! They even have customs between states! So might make sense after all...

[earthman]

Isn't it cheaper to just grow them massively and closer to the big cities. I mean, it must cost a hell per kilo to ship fruit and vegetables by air, given the pretty high volume of these items. Moreover cooling is needed, requiring special equipment such as cooled pallets which in their turn take up even more space. I smell a niche market for the traditional farmer in the indian market.

Well the apple I eat yesterday came from New-Zealand! The Beans you might have eaten the day before might have come from Chili! I find this rather strange knowing that transporting relatively low value items by air must double the price of your fruit and vedg! Still though transporting things by truck in India is a nightmare ! They even have customs between states! So might make sense after all...

Such fruit and vegetables are usually transported by ship in refrigerated containers, they are rarely airlifted! Apples are typically stored for many many months in refrigeration, or maybe even just in a controlled environment, before being sold.

[SN30952]

Isn't it cheaper to just grow them massively and closer to the big cities. I mean, it must cost a hell per kilo to ship fruit and vegetables by air, given the pretty high volume of these items. Moreover cooling is needed, requiring special equipment such as cooled pallets which in their turn take up even more space. I smell a niche market for the traditional farmer in the indian market.

The Indian peasantry, the largest body of surviving small farmers in the world, today faces a crisis of extinction.

Two thirds of India makes its living from the land. The earth is the most generous employer in this country of a billion, that has farmed that land for more than 5,000 years.

And teddyAIR smells a niche market for the traditional farmer in the indian market.

In 2004 two laws have been proposed in India – a seed Act and a Patent Ordinance which could forever destroy the biodiversity of Indian seeds and crops, and rob farmers of all freedoms, establishing a seed dictatorship.

Under pressure of World Bank the Seed Policy of 1988 started to dismantle the Indian robust public sector seed supply system, which accounted for 20% of the seeds farmers grow. 80% of the seed prior to globalisation is the farmers’ own varieties, which have been saved, exchanged and reproduced freely and have guaranteed Indian food security.

How is that a niche market is created, teddyAIR.
Only big billionairs can plan such things, as veggies by air.

Europe and particularly the UK does not know what veggies they are eating, because they cannot remember the taste of a real vegetable.

The vegetables shipped by air from Kenya, do you know how they are grown?
How were the seeds selected? Indeed, to grow plants that resist airtransport.

[static-x]

(Source=eurostat) Weight-wise only 0.5% of all trade goods leave the EU or arrive here by air. But this tiny amount of goods comprises 26% of the value of imports and exports. Flying around huge amounts of cheap fruit and vegetables would not make sense, even with India's infrastructure limitations. I mean on TV documentarys they always show those tropical fruits, flowers and fishes arriving in the early morning hours for beeing directly redistributed to gourmet restaurants. But the amounts are too small for an airline to exist on this business. But maybe in India they can find a combination (parcels, business express mail, bank notes, silicon wafers, jewels, textiles etc.). Then they could fill the empty space with less valuable food. Just last week in a discount supermarket I saw a package with rice crackers flown in by Martinair from Bangkok. Each small pack cost a few Euro-Cents only. (I know that stuff contains almost no water and can not be compared to fresh fruit).

[SN30952]

Just last week in a discount supermarket I saw a package with rice crackers flown in by Martinair from Bangkok. Each small pack cost a few Euro-Cents only. (I know that stuff contains almost no water and can not be compared to fresh fruit).

If there is something without taste then it is rice crackers.
Imagine the pollution caused for flying in rice crackers...Is it worth that?
btw, how long was that pack rice crakers on the shelf, as PM was not flying to/from BKK for long time....
iow, this 'commodity' could have been imported by sea cargo as well, because rice crackers have a long (shelf)life..

[earthman]

So these are special vegetables, hand grown by dedicated farmers, who sat down every night in the field, reading stories and singing to the plants. Each vegetable comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and a full pedigree of the plant. I can imagine that with the amount of people in India, there is probably enough of them who are willing to pay lots of money for such a vegetable, so there might be a market for such an airline.

Of course, the vegetable is later thrown into the ultra hot spicy curry, which kills any distinctive taste it might have had that would differentiate it from a normal vegetable. But it's the idea that counts.

[SN30952]

Of course, the vegetable is later thrown into the ultra hot spicy curry, which kills any distinctive taste it might have had that would differentiate it from a normal vegetable. But it's the idea that counts.

Here try this earthman, that'll change from your 'gehaktbal en jus in een kuiltje', look at item 031 in the link below....

And here is how catering "indian style at its best" looks

And here how we don't like .... Some items look like somebody else ate them before. I'll have the beer only, if it is chilled nicely, please,

Noticed the catering in some cases came from the same caterer: TAJ SATS Air Catering Ltd, a joint venture of the Indian Hotels Company, popularly known as the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces and SATS (Singapore Airport)

[earthman]

Here try this earthman, that'll change from your 'gehaktbal en jus in een kuiltje', look at item 031 in the link below....

Gah, just because I live in Amsterdam doesn't mean I have Dutch ancestry, and even if I did, it wouldn't mean that all I eat is 'gehaktbal en jus in een kuiltje'.

[SN30952]

Here try this earthman, that'll change from your 'gehaktbal en jus in een kuiltje', look at item 031 in the link below....

Gah, just because I live in Amsterdam doesn't mean I have Dutch ancestry, and even if I did, it wouldn't mean that all I eat is 'gehaktbal en jus in een kuiltje'.

Sorry, I forgot the Mona-toetje? Just kidding, Earthman... 8)
India has great cuisine.

[teddybAIR]

Isn't it cheaper to just grow them massively and closer to the big cities. I mean, it must cost a hell per kilo to ship fruit and vegetables by air, given the pretty high volume of these items. Moreover cooling is needed, requiring special equipment such as cooled pallets which in their turn take up even more space. I smell a niche market for the traditional farmer in the indian market.

The Indian peasantry, the largest body of surviving small farmers in the world, today faces a crisis of extinction.

Two thirds of India makes its living from the land. The earth is the most generous employer in this country of a billion, that has farmed that land for more than 5,000 years.

And teddyAIR smells a niche market for the traditional farmer in the indian market.

Next time I joke I'll make sure to put a smiley next to it, because it doesn't seem to be clear to everyone in the end...