CPRAM Co Ltd, a ready-to-eat food manufacturer and owner of the Le Pan bakery brand under the Charoen Pokphand Group, opened a new factory in Chon Buri, aiming to achieve a 20% market share among Thai bakeries this year.
Wisade Wisidwinyoo, president of CPRAM, said the new 2-billion-baht facility has a production capacity of 2.4 million items per day and is already fully operational.
CPRAM has two bakery factories in the country, with one in Lat Krabang, Bangkok, and the other in Chon Buri, resulting in total production capacity of around 4.4 million items per day, he said.
CPRAM operates 16 food factories nationwide at seven locations.
The new factory would be well-positioned to support growing demand in the bakery business over the coming years, Mr Wisade said.
He said CPRAM plans to expand its factory network to cover all regions of Thailand, aiming to have a better supply chain system.
Mr Wisade said the Russia-Ukraine war has impacted the price of wheat flour, one of the raw materials for bakery products.
However, the price of wheat flour decreased following the increase in global supply.
He said at present, the flour price is still higher compared to three years ago, but the company is managing costs through advanced purchases of raw materials.
"The company will maintain its current price as much as it can, and if it is necessary to raise the selling price, it will be the last player to do so," Mr Wisade said.
"Thailand's sluggish economy is unlikely to have a significant impact on the food sector as food is considered a necessary commodity. However, the company must set its prices to be fair and reasonable for consumers," said the president of CPRAM.
Mr Wisade said the company expects the local bakery market to be worth 40 billion baht this year, and aims to achieve a 20% market share, he said.
The company is targeting its revenue to reach 31 billion baht this year, with bakery revenue to account for 30% of overall revenue, he said.
