The government in collaboration with development partners has been encouraging the agronomy of modern palm trees, the use of quality and friendly processing technologies to obtain quality products.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (Investment), Dr Hashil Abdallah said accessing raw materials will enable productive, sustainable production to reduce imports of edible oil.
Dr Abdallah was speaking at the opening of a palm oil chain entrepreneurship workshop in Kigoma on Monday to further efforts to increase the production and consumption of palm oil products in the Kigoma Region and Tanzania as a whole.
He said the government has created a conducive environment for the creation of large, medium and small scale industries to increase employment and productivity for producers and quality products palm trees products such as palm oil, detergents and cosmetics and also is used to make soap, broom, carpet and alternative charcoal derived from tree and palm leaves.
The Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO), Director Engineer Professor Sylvester Mpanduji while signing the contract for construction of the two small plants said SIDO is ready to implement the project in the construction of the palm oil refinery in Uvinza district Sinuka village and Nyamuhoza village in Kigoma Rural District as well as provide training and financial loans to those entrepreneurs.
On her part, the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) I & II Coordinator and Project Manager from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ms Ritha Magere said the ministry in collaboration with the World Trade Organization (WTO) development partners EIF, is implementing the added value project in the palm crop by increasing productivity and quality processing, strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises in local, regional and international markets as well as reducing poverty by employing approximately 500 women and youth.
Ms Magere said the project has been implemented from 2020 to 2023 in mainland Tanzania and the Islands especially in the value chain in palm crops for the Kigoma region, Honey for Singida region, vegetables and fruit lake zone in Mara and Simiyu regions as well as seafood in Unguja and Mwani Pemba Region.
In addition, Ms Magere said in the Kigoma Region the project will build various infrastructures in selected value chains such as building small factories to process those products, enable inputs for farmers to achieve their farming, improve quality laboratories for products and standards as well as equipment to be used in these laboratories.
Source: allafrica.com