SAI Energy and Logistics Services Limited’s owner, Rajan Marwahaa told Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Anthony Mavunde who visited the factory last week that he has been facing shortage of the raw material.
“The factory had temporarily stopped in the past three years because of lack of enough potatoes which we use as raw materials,” Marwahaa said adding that the factory will soon become operational.
He said the crisps and potato chips manufacturing factory which is located at Kibwabwa Industrial area in Iringa Municipality, will contract smallholder farmers to produce the commodity in large volumes to meet demand. Marwahaa further explained that the factory will need 18,000 metric tonnes of potatoes per annum which will be produced by over 5,000 farmers that will be engaged through contract farming.
In remarks during the visit, Mavunde urged farmers in Iringa region to grab the opportunity by growing more Irish potatoes because a reliable market is now available through the potato processing factory.
He stressed that the presence of the factory is an opportunity for unemployed groups of people, especially women and youth."I will ask Iringa District Commissioner Mohammed Moyo, to help us sit with experts here to set aside an area where we will establish a model potato farm using block farming so that our farmers can learn from it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mavunde has instructed Director General of Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) to send experts to the investor and ensure they quickly resolve the hybrid seed shortage facing farmers.
Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Anthony Mavunde (with a hat) listening from SAI Energy and Logistics Services Limited investor, Rajan Marwahaa (L) when he visited the crisps manufacturing factory in Iringa Municipality last week. Photo: Friday Simbaya.
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