Huge potential to expand Maliban - Advisor
by Surekha Galagoda
[email protected]
The per capita biscuit consumption in Europe is 32 kgs a year while
in Sri Lanka it is 2-3 kgs. Therefore, there is much potential for
expansion said advisor to Maliban biscuits Nirosh De Silva.
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From left: Director, Shanaka Wickramapala, Director, Tharangitha
Samaraweera, Senior Director, A.G. Wimalasiri, Chairman, A.G.R.
Samaraweera, Advisor to Maliban Biscuits, Nirosh De Silva, Head
of Marketing, Ms Kumerini Candappa and New Product development
and International Marketing Manager Keerthi Peiris taste the
Maliban cream crackers at the launch. Pic by Sumanachandra
Ariyawansa. |
He said that there is potential for all biscuit manufacturers to grow
as biscuits are a low cost, high energy product. At present customers
are moving from sweet biscuits to semi sweet and cracker type biscuits.
There is a growth in the biscuit and cracker market as people snack more
due to their busy lifestyles which prevents them from having meals in
the afternoon.
Chairman, Maliban biscuits A.G.R. Samaraweera launching the Maliban
cream cracker said the company’s strength from its inception was the
focus on quality which has resulted in building trust and loyalty among
generations of consumers due to Maliban being a brand close to the
hearts of the consumers.
He said the launch of the Cream cracker is a reinforcement of their
commitment of giving the consumer a quality great tasting cracker which
is on par with any international product.
Speaking of the company’s performance, he said, “we have managed to
move from red to green and we are confident that we can achieve better
numbers in the future.
De Silva said that the Maliban cream cracker was popular among the
elderly but not the young and they wanted the cracker to be popular
among all, the young and old. A great deal of research was done before
we introduced it and we are confident that it will be loved by all.
He said the company experienced a bad patch due to the strike which
resulted in competitors capturing the market. But for the last one year
we are concentrating on increasing the market share and to make the
company financially strong.
He said that prior to the strike the company enjoyed a 42% market
share while it dropped to 15% thereafter. we have been able to increase
it to 28% and are confident that we can achieve the pre strike market
share or more in the future.
Speaking of the product, he said that it has no transfat,
preservatives and animal fat and the biscuit is crunchier, tastier and
is enriched with vitamins and minerals.
New product development and International Marketing Manager Keerthi
Peiris said that Maliban exports to 20 countries across five continents
and added that their first export to the Maldives was in 1963. In
addition to the other countries we also export to Japan which is a very
quality conscious market which proves that our biscuits are on par with
any international product.
He said that Maliban manufactures for private labels such as Jacobs
while they also export their own brands in different packs. In addition
we also supply our biscuits to major airlines as well.
De Silva said that manufacturing of most of the processed food and
the FMCG products are dominated by multinational companies but the
biscuit market in Sri Lanka is dominated by two Sri Lankan companies
which is very creditable.
The risk to the industry was in the area of cheap products and excess
stocks being dumped by countries who could leverage their trade
agreements to gain unfair advantage over local producers.
Maliban biscuits was started by the late A.G. Hinniappuhamy in the
1950’s to cater to the sons of the soil and quality and now it is of
paramount importance to the company. |
