THE first tomato juice factory in Myanmar will begin commercial operations next month, said an official at the plant.

The factory – located in the Aye Tharyar Industrial Zone 2, in the southern Shan State town of Taunggyi – has been jointly developed by Myan Gone Myint Co., Ltd and Myanmar Inlay Foodstuff Industry Co., Ltd.

Myan Gone Myint will earn 60 per cent of the factory’s profits, with the balance going to Myanmar Inlay Foodstuff Industry, which is one of the eight portfolios of Myanmar’s leading gem firm, Ruby Dragon Companies.

Construction on the site, which encompasses more than 17 acres, started in November 2002, and the official opening ceremony was held last March, said U Khun Kyaw Than, the manager of the factory.

The factory, which was built with a total investment of about US$600,000 and K266.5 million, will produce tomato juice and tomato paste under the Myanmar Inlae brand name using Chinese food-manufacturing technology.

U Khun Kyaw Than said the company will start by offering juice in one-litre and 250-millilitre packs, and paste in three-kilogram and 355-milligram bottles.

“We might add readymade fresh juice later depending on the market situation,” he added.

The factory will start by using regionally grown tomatoes but plans to eventually grow its own tomatoes using three types of seeds imported from Thailand, U Khun Kyaw Than said.

At full capacity the factory will be able to produce a total of 15 tonnes of juice and paste a day, but initial daily production will be limited to five tonnes, he said.

During the first year of production the factory will focus on raising awareness of the brand in the domestic market, with the eventual goal of penetrating the international market.

“We can rely on the domestic market for paste sales, but Myanmar people are not yet big consumers of tomato juice, so we plan to target sales towards hotels in the domestic market and Mediterranean countries in the export market,” said U Khun Kyaw Than.

He said producing tomato juice and paste as a substitute import product will help the country save foreign currency and develop its value-added industry sector.