Soyam Foods : Young entrepreneur shows the way

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 12 : Catherine Soyamphi (28), proprietor of Soyam Foods, has worked out a market based solution to wastage of perishable fruits especially in hill districts by making a variety of food and drink items including heritage wine by collecting the fruits which otherwise would have been wasted.
Catherine Soyamphi, a resident of Lungshang village in Ukhrul, believes that her food processing business alone, however, won't be able to stop wastage of fruits and vegetables in hill districts.
Started with just Rs 5,000, Soyam Foods now employs 25 people in her food processing venture which produces 15 varieties of heritage wine, eight candy types and 12 varieties of pickle.
Speaking to The Sangai Express, Catherine said that  varieties of fruits and vegetables are naturally grown throughout the year in the hill districts of Manipur but majority of them end up perishing as they are not collected.
She said that the dream of making Manipur a self-reliant State can become closer if all these naturally grown fruits and vegetables in hill districts are collected and made the best use of.
Saying that she found a large quantity of fruits lying unattended and spoiled at the hillrange of Ukhrul alone during the peak of the Covid pandemic, Catherine said that she started collecting the fruits and started brewing heritage wine from it.
AS Angela, mother of Catherine, is a food trainer in Ukhrul district.
Catherine said that she started having interest in food processing after seeing all the precious forest fruits perishing during the peak of the Covid pandemic.
She now employs 25 people and contributes to boosting the State's economy in her own capacity.
Recounting that she was ridiculed by the local people in the initial stage of her business, Catherine expressed desire for every person to help one another instead of belittling the work of others.
"We are the owners of all these fruits which can be used for commercial purposes but many of them unfortunately are going to waste especially in hill districts," she added.
Catherine continued that Manipur Organic Mission Agency (MOMA) of the Horticulture and Soil Conservation Department is her regular customer.
Saying that Soyam Foods sells its products outside Manipur viz Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Guwahati etc too, she added that the demand of Soyam Food products in the market is high.
Catherine said that she attended a training programme hosted by ICAR on food processing and value addition and another training conducted by CAU on export documentation procedure and global supply of goods.
Catherine further said that she joined the second batch of Manifresh scheme which was  inaugurated by the Chief Minister when he also held Horticulture and Soil Conservation portfolio in the previous term of the BJP led Government.
Manifresh scheme played a very important role in making Soyam Foods what it is today, she said while thanking all who stood beside her in making her food process business a success.  
Catherine continued that the packaging quality of Soyam Food couldn't have reached the current standard had she not come across Manifresh scheme, while appealing to the people to take maximum benefits of Government schemes.
She said that she started taking raw materials from Ukhrul farmer producer companies too after expanding her business.
"Manipur is indeed a land blessed by nature and it is our duty to showcase it to the world," said the entrepreneur.
Continuing that she needs a  workshed and  digital printing facility to expand her business, Catherine said that quality packaging is very important in food business.
People likely will be disinterested in any food item if the packaging is of inferior quality and unattractive, she added.