Local produce on the menu

Local produce on the menu

By Manny Maung   |   Monday, 22 July 2013

While there is an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables available at produce markets across Myanmar, from time to time, it's hard not to miss the fruit and vegetables from home. Italian agronomist, Paolo Cerati, had this exact feeling when he decided to cultivate his own produce and create Fresco in 2007.

Fresh produce is available to the public at the Fresco Shop in Yangon. Photo: Aung Htay Hlaing

How did you start up Fresco and why?

I started Fresco for two reasons: First of all, I am a vegetable "lover". I can't resist one day without a bowl of fresh mixed salad. At the time I started Fresco, I was living in Taunggyi for almost two years, working for an INGO and I missed my Italian vegetables – not that in Taunggyi market there were not good vegetables but I just missed the Italian ones. The second reason was because working with farmers, I saw how much chemical insecticide they were spraying and I wanted to start producing good and healthy products that people can trust. So I started planning to establish my own farm and I discussed this with some friends who were also interested in starting the company.

What has it taken to establish your business in Myanmar?

It was not easy to start a business at that time in Myanmar. We were very unlucky because we started Fresco in 2007 and after that it seemed everything happened at once – the 2007 Saffron revolution, Cyclone Nargis in 2008. So business was very difficult as there were no tourists and foreigners coming. But I kept going because I knew that if we could survive, one day we would be a successful company with a wide market. It was extremely difficult for many reasons, like lack of proper infrastructure, electricity, transportation, lack of technical inputs, the weather, but we are now prospering.

How is your supply developing in relation to consumer demand?

At the beginning the demand was quite small but enough to develop. At that time we put a lot of energy trying to grow many different types of vegetables, salads and herbs to be able to offer a wide range of products for the hotels and restaurant chefs and all our clients. It was a very difficult task to learn how to grow many different types of produce to grow in the climate but we are learning and so far we have 30 different products for our customers. Our main challenge is to keep our production constant, especially during the rainy season or the winter time but now we are proud and able to produce all our products constantly.

How do you position yourself competitively in the international market?

Fresco is the only one that is growing all the products in Myanmar. Our motto is "Eat Locally Produced". We do not import, we do not airfreight. I believe in the idea that we need to help this country by creating jobs here and not depending on imported products. Moreover, I want my products to be as fresh as possible therefore I make sure that the least amount of time passes from when we harvest our products to when they reach the consumer's table.

Importing is still not well regulated and quality control is not in place. Most of the vegetables come illegally across the border from Thailand.You don't know who grows them and how, or what pesticides and chemicals they have used, so it is difficult to control the product quality.

What is your philosophy on the use of pesticides and genetically modified products?

We are almost organic. I say almost because I'm not certified (in Myanmar there is not yet a recognised company who can do it) and it's difficult to find the right organic inputs such as organic insecticides and fungicides. Sometimes we import organic insecticide from Thailand but it's very expensive and difficult to get hold of. However, despite the difficulties, our products are safe and healthy because we use only organic fertilizer and we let them grow naturally.

How do you provide training for your staff?

I'm an agronomist so I teach our staff myself. I work with them directly and I do on-the-spot training.

How do you grow and harvest your produce?

Our farm is in Shan state, near Taunggyi. However we are now starting to establish a new farm closer to Yangon. We are also now discussing with one INGO to start contract farming with 30 farmers who want to produce organic local vegetables such carrot and eggplant. We don't want to grow everything by ourselves; we want to help farmers to learn how to grow high quality vegetables for us. To those who are interested, we provide training, high quality seeds and a contract where we fix the price of the production and where we are committed to buy all the production. It's a good opportunity for the farmers not only because we offer a higher price than the normal market but also because we buy all the production and they don't need to worry about the market demand and price fluctuation.

Have you ever been affected by natural disasters?

Not really natural disasters but severe weather yes. One of the first years the winter in that part of Shan state was extremely cold and temperatures went down below zero Celsius and we lost all our products. The value of the loss was very high. Here in Myanmar there is no insurance company that can back up farmers in case of severe weather loss so when something like this happens, it's a big shock to absorb.

What's the secret to cultivating your produce?

I would say passion for high quality products. We invest a lot in high quality seeds that are extremely expensive but they can guarantee a good result. The quality control is the most important thing in our business: We check our products again and again because we want to sell only the best ones. For example, our rocket salad is selected by hands, leaf by leaf. Our clients never complain about our quality and this is very important for us.

Can others do this at home?

Definitely not in Yangon because it's too hot and humid. Plus the plants suffer from disease here.

Fresco's locally grown produce is available for the public to purchase. They are open Tuesday s, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm. 16/A Tharlawaddy lane, Mayangone township. Visit the Fresco website for more details: www.frescomyanmar.com

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