The Hindu Business Line : Lowly groundnut candy rules supreme

WHEN it comes to confectioneries, milk chocolates and hardboiled sweets or any one of the other chewies may catch the eye with hype and hardsell. But the low profile, much-in-demand groundnut candy takes the cake for staying power.

In sheer volumes and presence from the street corner kiosks to the supermarket chain shelves, the groundnut candy occupies a prominent presence. While the candy itself has not undergone any change, the manufacturers are confident that its appeal will essentially remain unchanged with every generation. But there is a need to make some cosmetic changes to catch the eye, they say.

In sheer volumes, the groundnut candy upstages any of the other high-end confectioneries, according to Mr Sundaram R. Iyer, an engineer and flat promoter by profession, who has taken up manufacture of this `desi' confectionery. His wife looks after the manufacturing and marketing.

According to Mrs Iyer, when the idea of starting up a food-processing unit was mooted at home, the groundnut candy suggested itself.

Marketing was not expected to be a major problem, with the candy an accepted product for generations by both ``beggars and billionaires.''

Available at Re 0.50 per cube or Rs 4 for 100 gm packet, just about anybody could afford it, she said.

All that is needed are some consideration for quality, a fancy packaging to catch the eye and a bit of imagination to push the product. Quality raw material was available in abundance and technological expertise was locally available.

For instance, at Washermanpet in North Chennai, more than 400 families are involved in the manufacture of groundnut candy at the household level. Whole families sit together after household chores are completed, fry the groundnut, cook the jaggery to a paste and roll out the groundnut into balls and slabs.

But under the circumstances, hygiene and quality are not major priorities. This was where branded manufacturers could step in, she said.

According to Mr Sundaram, with the product well entrenched in the market, branding and quality were the key points. These fill a lacuna in the primarily high-volume and unbranded product.

The packaging called for a little imagination. A popular mode is one that has been inspired by the high-end milk chocolate brands - - a photograph of the product scanned on the computer and printed on the outer wrapping — a clear indication of the product inside while being colourful and attractive.

With these the product has gained acceptance at the super market shelves while continuing to dominate the kiosks and tea-shops. The nature of the manufacture precludes possibilities of mechanisation, and the process is essentially labour-intensive. The couple expect to crank up production from the existing 100 kg per day to double that over the next few months.

Mr A. Rajaraman, Director, India Sweet Co Pvt Ltd, manufacturers of branded groundnut candy, has been in the business for nearly five decades. Quality and widening the product base are the key considerations. But the demand for the basic groundnut candy continues to increase.

Other variations include using badham, cashew, or sesame seeds and some minor tinkering with the flavours such as vanilla. Also in demand are the variations using puffed rice and popcorn, which too have caught the fancy of the market.

Over the years, technologically the product has evolved only in terms of increased shelf life through the use of liquid glucose. The other aspect has been changes in the packaging, making it more colourful, introducing assorted packages like candies made from groundnut, badham, cashew and sesame.

These find some buyers in supermarkets and from hotel outlets.

But whatever the changes, the groundnut candy essentially has remained unchanged, and remains a cottage activity.

A handful of branded manufacturers have carved out a niche for themselves purely on the strength of the quality. But the product is dominated by the unbranded segment. If the product has remained unchanged, so has the customer taste, he says. For instance, in Chennai, it is the groundnut balls that are the most preferred, while in other States the slabs are fancied.

Some manufacturers had attempted to bring in various shapes, but it was still the same old groundnut slab, he said.

With relatively simple production technique, and lack of available technology to mechanise the product, the production base is widespread throughout the State.

For instance, this sweet has been considered a speciality of the South Tamil Nadu, particularly Kovilpatti. But even here, the product has not gained much ground, and caters to only the surrounding places.

Some exports are also targeted at Indians living in West Asia, South East Asia and in the developed countries.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section
Debate on fisheries policy

Tea Board reconstituted

Lowly groundnut candy rules supreme

Rice genome data open new vistas for cereal mapping

Duty-free import of maize unwarranted

Cotton prices to head higher

Bt cotton hybrid seeds supply

Imported soya oil safe, says US body

Palm oil futures may move down

`Rising domestic soyameal offtake encouraging'

Oilmeal exports up