In India, ADM’s principal business is the processing of oilseeds into edible oils, animal feeds and feed ingredients, and biodiesel fuel, in partnership with the Tinna Group. We also market a range of ADM food ingredients to leading food manufacturers; provide animal nutrition products to poultry and cattle farmers; offer cargo services and warehousing facilities for businesses; and operate a training and incentive program to assist Indian farmers improve crop quality and increase yields.
The ADM/Tinna Group joint venture, Tinna Oils & Chemicals Limited, was formed in 1998. Today, it employs nearly 800 people, and operations include a corporate office in New Delhi; additional offices in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore; a cargo-handling facility and warehouse in Vizag, Andra Pradesh; and oilseeds processing plants in Latur, Maharashtra, and in Dharwad, Karnataka.
A key part of ADM’s Asia strategy today is our strategic ownership interest in Wilmar International Limited, Asia’s premiere agricultural processing business, which has locations in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, and in other parts of the world. Wilmar operates palm plantations; crushing facilities for various types of oilseeds; vegetable oil refineries and packaging facilities; plants that produce oleo chemicals, soy proteins and fertilizers; and multiple wheat and rice milling facilities.
Oilseeds Processing
The oilseeds processing business involves crushing sunflower and safflower seeds, soybeans and groundnuts to separate crude oil from meal, which is used primarily in the production of animal feeds. The crude oil is refined into edible oils sold under the Health Fit brand name. The Latur and Dharwad plants each have a crushing capacity of 1,000 metric tons per day and a refining capacity of 200 metric tons per day.
In addition, the Latur plant manufactures biodiesel from non-edible oilseeds called jatropha, a woody plant capable of growing on land too barren to support many other varieties of oilseeds. A team of Tinna Group agronomists is working with farmers in Maharashtra to promote more widespread cultivation of jatropha.
Specialty Ingredients
ADM’s joint venture with the Tinna Group also supplies food companies with more than 500 ADM specialty ingredients commonly used in the manufacture of bakery and confectionery items, juices, condiments and baby foods, as well as in personal-care items such as toothpaste and cough syrup. These ingredients range from cocoa powders, sweeteners, emulsifiers and thickeners to protein concentrates, isolates and nutritional supplements. The Specialty Food Ingredients group also offers customers technical support to assist in the development of high-quality products that incorporate these ingredients.
Animal Health and Nutrition
The Animal Health and Nutrition group markets full-fat soybean meal to poultry producers throughout India. The meal is an excellent source of protein and energy that contains high levels of linoleic acid, vitamin E, sulphur lecithin and choline. Our L-lysine product provides a critical amino acid needed for optimum poultry production, while URJA, our cattle-feed supplement, helps increase milk production.
Cargo Handling
Tinna Oils & Chemicals Limited offers services such as stevedoring, chartering and cargo clearing and forwarding to customers including shipping lines, commodity traders and industries involved in international trade. The port facility in Vizag handles agricultural products such as beans, rice bran and fertilizer, and the warehouse provides more than 60,000 tons of storage capacity.
Community Commitment
With a view to increasing farmers’ crop yields and incomes, Tinna Oils & Chemical Limited created a Krishi Vikas Kendras (KVK) network of more than 20 crop-development centers staffed by agronomists who offer training in best agricultural practices, as well as procurement services, to between 50,000 and 100,000 farmers each year.
The KVK program motivates farmers to adopt best farming practices by distributing cash prizes to those who achieve high yields. Farmers also receive essential supplies such as pesticides, seeds, fertilizers and gunny bags at reduced prices. The joint venture also operates a telephone help line to address cultivation-related inquiries.
