|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
Market
Share
PETS International Magazine
|
In 1948 in the
village of Cassoplis, Michegan (USA), Edward Lowe
first offered dried and calcined Fullers Earth as
per liter. In 1991 a new type of more efficient litter emerged
from Wyoming. This was a clumbing (or scoopable)
ultra (micro-granules) which, because of its inherent qualites
like ease of use and hygine became very popular.
From modest sales
of USD 3 million in 1991, this clumping product's sales
grew to USD 600 million. In 1999 - more than half the total
US pet litter sales of USD 1,044 million.
One of the companies active in the pet litter industry is
Ashapura from Mumbai, India. ln 1999 Ashapura
introduced PURA, a clumping
lightweight product, that is 20% lighter due to - as the
company claims -Ashapura's unique sodium bentonite deposits
used. The company has invested 12 years of research and
development into the technology of producing this lightweight
litter. |
|
The hard, rock-like natural sodium bentonite (or mugmatti)
of Kutch region in India gets 300 days of burning strong sunlight
for low temperature drying and the 35 years of experience
in mining, excavating and processing of minerals, combined
with modern research labs and vast deposits of sodium bentonite
at one of the few places worldwide where this material can
be found, makes the PURA
pet litter.
|
Ashapura sees the total European litter market at a
volume of approx 1.5 million tonnes, of which clumping pet
litters made out of sodium bentonite has a market share of
around, 10%. The remainder is produced from calcium bentonite,
sepiolite, attapulgite and wood material.
| |
Mr.
N.R. Shah,
executive chairman of Ashapura Exports sees the following
reason for the still not big market share of clumping pet
litter in Europe: " Clumping litter can only be produced from
high grade sodium bentonite of which there is not one single
deposit in Europe. Natural sodium bentonite is far superior
to the sodium bentonite procuded by artificial conversion
from calcium bentonite by the addition of soda ash.
The apparent price factor i.e. compared to kilogram to kilogram
is compared but not consumption per animal. This has been
an impediment to the growth. Many U.S. manufacturers did not
seriously promote their product in Europe possibly because
they have enough home market. This is also an impediment to
the development of the market in Europe. Of course a few importers
created a Niche market in Europe for this product but our
Company wants to change this trend both to the advantage of
Pet Owners and the Pets.
The litter department of Ashapura supplies work for
some 70 people, 50 in production and 20 in sales, marketing
and adminstration. At this moment the company is supplying
three major markets with their products: Middle East, South
East Asia and Europe. The main markets at this moment in Europe
are Germany, France and the Benelux. In other European countries
the company is looking for exclusive distributors, while one
is also considering to startup the export to the US, as soon
as a reliable distributor has been found.
And this is not the end of the planned development for the
export activities of Ashapura: the company is also
looking for a suitable location to start up their own packaging
facility where both PURA
Pet litter as well as other litter products can be shipped
to in bulk and can be packed for the European market.
|
|
 |
 |
|
