New Delhi, March 3 (UNI) Belgian potato processor Agristo has set up a new production line for frozen French fries in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh. The pound 80 million project was launched on Sunday during a visit by Princess Astrid of Belgium, Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot and Flemish Minister President Matthias Diependaele.
The company will increase processing capacity fivefold at the company’s site in Bijnor, a statement said.
Princess Astrid was present to symbolically break ground as part of the economic mission she is leading this week in the world’s fifth-largest economy.
Agristo has been active in India since 2019 through a joint venture with local company Masa. The partnership has improved potato yields and optimised supply chains. The expansion will double the factory’s workforce from 150 to 300.
By producing locally, Agristo avoids India’s 30% import tax and aims to supply both domestic consumers and export markets such as the Middle East and Indonesia.
The project has strong links with West Flanders, with key suppliers including Vyncke for steam boilers, AVR for harvesting machinery and Ekopak for wastewater recycling.
Minister Diependaele praised the initiative, highlighting India’s huge growth opportunities for international business. Production is expected to start in 2026.
The Bijnor site is Agristo’s first venture outside Europe. From this site, the company supplies both national and international markets, including North America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Japan.
The facility began operations in July 2022, following an investment of just over pound 25 million to build a potato flakes factory. A new investment of pound 80 million will bring the total to over pound 105 million and quintuple the potato processing capacity, enabling fry production by 2026.
The factory has already doubled potato crop productivity from 17 tonnes per hectare to 32 tonnes per hectare, one of the highest yields in India. Over 2,500 farmers are expected to benefit from this expansion.
The site currently employs around 150 people, a number set to double following the expansion. Agristo aims to produce frozen fries, anticipating significant potential in the Indian market of over a billion people.
