<p>METRO Cash & Carry, leading largest modern wholesaler and food specialist, on Tuesday introduced a pesticide-free grocery range Fine Life Bio.</p>.<p>The move to come out with an in-house own brand comes after the company piloted the pesticide-free product range with 30 select products in Hyderabad and Bangalore last year.</p>.<p>After receiving an overwhelming response to the products, METRO has expanded the range to provide complete kitchen grocery and has made the pesticide-free range available across its 27 wholesale outlets in India.</p>.<p>With the proposition of making healthy living affordable, Fine Life Bio has been rolled out with over 120 products at a very competitive price in different categories such as pulses, grains, rice, millets, flours, dry fruits, spices and sugar.</p>.<p>Speaking about the launch, METRO Cash and Carry India MD & CEO Arvind Mediratta said consumers today are becoming increasingly conscious about their health and what they eat.</p>.<p>"Organic products have been gaining steam, but has limited acceptance due to its premium pricing. At METRO, we firmly believe in providing value-proposition to our customers, and have introduced a new pesticide-free produce category," he said.</p>.<p>Mediratt said the company is extremely focused on nurturing a healthy and sustainable living and through Fine Life Bio range METRO wants customers to consume healthy, pesticide-free good food in an affordable and sustainable manner.</p>.<p>METRO Cash & Carry has collaborated with over 65,000 small and marginal farmers directly and indirectly through associated partners to source around 2,700 metric tonne of pesticide-free produce for Fine Life Bio range.</p>.<p>Each product is thoroughly tested and undergoes multiple checks right from the farm till the store. The products are tested for over 150 pesticides in order to qualify as pesticide-free.</p>.<p>With the tagline ‘Choose Health, Choose Fine Life Bio’, the entire range has been launched with a focus on a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating in daily life.</p>.<p>As part of its efforts to fortify the agrarian eco-system, METRO runs a ‘Direct Farm Programme’, wherein it has set up six collection centres to procure fresh Fruits and Vegetables directly from farmers.</p>.<p>The company sources over 12000 metric tonne of produce per annum positively impacting over 5000 registered farmers across the country. </p>.<p>METRO procures 40% of total produce requirement by direct sourcing from the local farmers. In addition to this, METRO conducts regular training programs for native farmers covering wide range of topics leveraging in-house and external agricultural experts.</p>.<p>The program includes intervention such as trainings on production enhancement, farming techniques, quality improvement, optimum pesticide usage, soil nutrition and management and post-harvest techniques. The direct sourcing from farm benefits local farmers in reducing their transportation cost; eliminates farmer’s produce being exchanged through many hands; and supports them in sustainable production of high-quality fruits and vegetables. </p>.<p>METRO Cash& Carry anchors close to a 3 million customer base in India. The company operates 27 wholesale distribution centres, catering to over 5000 suppliers, and has created over 13,500 direct and indirect jobs across the country.</p>
<p>METRO Cash & Carry, leading largest modern wholesaler and food specialist, on Tuesday introduced a pesticide-free grocery range Fine Life Bio.</p>.<p>The move to come out with an in-house own brand comes after the company piloted the pesticide-free product range with 30 select products in Hyderabad and Bangalore last year.</p>.<p>After receiving an overwhelming response to the products, METRO has expanded the range to provide complete kitchen grocery and has made the pesticide-free range available across its 27 wholesale outlets in India.</p>.<p>With the proposition of making healthy living affordable, Fine Life Bio has been rolled out with over 120 products at a very competitive price in different categories such as pulses, grains, rice, millets, flours, dry fruits, spices and sugar.</p>.<p>Speaking about the launch, METRO Cash and Carry India MD & CEO Arvind Mediratta said consumers today are becoming increasingly conscious about their health and what they eat.</p>.<p>"Organic products have been gaining steam, but has limited acceptance due to its premium pricing. At METRO, we firmly believe in providing value-proposition to our customers, and have introduced a new pesticide-free produce category," he said.</p>.<p>Mediratt said the company is extremely focused on nurturing a healthy and sustainable living and through Fine Life Bio range METRO wants customers to consume healthy, pesticide-free good food in an affordable and sustainable manner.</p>.<p>METRO Cash & Carry has collaborated with over 65,000 small and marginal farmers directly and indirectly through associated partners to source around 2,700 metric tonne of pesticide-free produce for Fine Life Bio range.</p>.<p>Each product is thoroughly tested and undergoes multiple checks right from the farm till the store. The products are tested for over 150 pesticides in order to qualify as pesticide-free.</p>.<p>With the tagline ‘Choose Health, Choose Fine Life Bio’, the entire range has been launched with a focus on a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating in daily life.</p>.<p>As part of its efforts to fortify the agrarian eco-system, METRO runs a ‘Direct Farm Programme’, wherein it has set up six collection centres to procure fresh Fruits and Vegetables directly from farmers.</p>.<p>The company sources over 12000 metric tonne of produce per annum positively impacting over 5000 registered farmers across the country. </p>.<p>METRO procures 40% of total produce requirement by direct sourcing from the local farmers. In addition to this, METRO conducts regular training programs for native farmers covering wide range of topics leveraging in-house and external agricultural experts.</p>.<p>The program includes intervention such as trainings on production enhancement, farming techniques, quality improvement, optimum pesticide usage, soil nutrition and management and post-harvest techniques. The direct sourcing from farm benefits local farmers in reducing their transportation cost; eliminates farmer’s produce being exchanged through many hands; and supports them in sustainable production of high-quality fruits and vegetables. </p>.<p>METRO Cash& Carry anchors close to a 3 million customer base in India. The company operates 27 wholesale distribution centres, catering to over 5000 suppliers, and has created over 13,500 direct and indirect jobs across the country.</p>
