Do you want to start a tomato processing company from scratch? Or you need a sample tomato processing plant business plan template? If YES, then i advice you read on. Tomatoes are consumed all over the world and it is cheap and affordable to all class of people. Tomato fruits are rich in fiber, they contain healthy vitamins and it has no trace of cholesterol.
Tomatoes also contain disease fighting phyto-chemicals. People consume tomato in its raw state as fruit, or after it has been processed. They are also are used for the preparation of various menus like; salads, drinks, pizza, tomato soup and sauces, et al. If you live in the Americas, Africa or any part of the world where tomatoes are produced in large quantities, then establishing your own tomato processing plant might just be the best business venture you might invest in.
No doubt, you would require huge startup capital to build your own tomato processing plant, but good news is that, the market for processed tomato products is enormous and profitable. The good thing about starting a tomato processing plant is that you could establish your plant in any part of the world where you can easily access tomato farms and cheaper labors and then export your products all of the globe.
The end products from an ideal tomato processing plant are the popular ketchup, tomato juice, diced tomatoes, tomato powder, tomato paste, tomato pulp, strained tomatoes, partially dehydrated tomatoes et al. The following guidelines would direct you on how to establish your own tomato processing plant and build it to a level of profitability within the shortest time frame possible.
Starting a Tomato Processing Plant – Sample Business Plan Template
1. Be Critical With Your Feasibility Studies
You stand to gain a lot if you carry out a critical feasibility studies before you pump in your money to build your own tomato processing plant. You are able to know how to access your raw materials, the best ways to cut cost of productions and how to maximize profits.
As a matter of fact, with the reports you get from your feasibility studies you could decide to wait a bit before starting your tomato processing plant or source for more funds.
The good thing about feasibility studies is that if it is properly done, it gives you all the positive and negative options you are likely going to face with your proposed project and it guides you in the long run to take the right decisions. With the information gathered, you can proceed to write a tomato processing plant business plan.
2. Register Your Company and Obtain the Required License
Starting a tomato processing plant is not the kind of business you can start without undergoing all the necessary registration processes. You cannot operate this kind of business as an anonymous company because it has to do with what people eat. You are expected to register your tomato processing plant and also obtain the required operating license from the body that regulates foods and drugs production in your country.
3. Choose a Suitable Location to Build Your Plant
Choosing a suitable location for your tomato processing plant is a very important factor that can determine how successful and profitable the business grows. The factors you need to consider when searching for a location to build your tomato processing plant are nearness to tomato farms/ plantations, nearness to source of cheap labor, as well as proximity to the market. You might also position your tomato processing plant to be close to the Seaport or Rail station so as to cut transportation cost especially when you intend to go into exportation of your processed tomato products.
4. Install All the Required Equipment and Machinery
If you are done with choosing a suitable location and building your tomato plantation to meet all the required safety standards, then the next step would be to install all the required equipment and machinery needed to run you plant.
You would need to buy power generating set (especially if your plant is located in the outskirt of town of a country with epileptic power supply), High Pressure Pumps and Homogenizers, Evaporators, Extractors, Separators, Cross-Flow Membrane Filtration Systems, Spray Dryers, Freeze Dryers, Integrated Belt Dryers, Agglomerators, Clarifiers and Decanters, and Complete tomato powder conveying and Packaging lines. You also need trucks for transporting your raw tomatoes from the farm to the plant and then the processed products from the plant to the Market, Seaport or Rail Station.
5. Hire Competent Hands
If you truly want to build a successful business, then you must ensure you hire competent hands. The good thing about running a tomato processing plant is that about 80% of you workforce doesn’t need high tech skills. As a matter of fact, they are only factory workers and you do not have to pay from your nose to keep them. You would also need to hire few experts that are able to handle all the standard operating processes of a tomato processing plant. Bottom-line is do a blend of experienced hands and rookies.
6. Be Detailed With Your Packaging
There are various packaging styles for processed tomato products. You could choose to use bottles, sachet or even plastics. Whichever choice you choose for any of your products, just ensure that the packing is appealing and unique. Because of the competition you would be facing out there in the market, you just have to be detailed with your choice of packaging so that you can gain market acceptance.
For instance; there is nothing unique about the tomato paste that is sold in Asia and the ones that are sold in Americas. The only difference might just be the packaging. Therefore, you too must plug in on the various branding styles there are.
7. Explore Both Local and International Market
The fact that people eat tomato all over the world makes it easier for you to sell your processed tomato products beyond the shores of your country. You can be rest assured that there are international markets waiting for you to explore.
The truth is that if your products are good and of international standards, then with a little push; you can easily break into the global market. People export processed tomato products to every nook and cranny of the world without restrictions.
These are the steps you need to follow to be able to establish your own tomato processing plant and build your brand to be globally accepted. You can choose to go into the production of all the known processed tomato products or select some of them and create your own unique brand. You sure are guaranteed success if you blend a hardworking spirit with all the tips given earlier.