Presidente da República, Daniel Chapo, inaugura fábrica de descasque e processamento de gergelim, no distrito de Dondo, província central de Sofala
Maputo, 14 Nov (AIM) – Mozambican President Daniel Chapo on Thursday inaugurated a sesame husking and processing factory, budgeted at 35 million US dollars.
The new factory, which employs over a thousand workers, was built in Dondo district, in the central province of Sofala. It was funded by the Mozambican government in partnership with the Netherlands.
“This unit represents much more than an industrial infrastructure. It is a living symbol of our determination to achieve the economic independence for which we are laying the foundations. For decades, sesame, like so many other agricultural products, left the country without being industrially processed to add value”, he said.
The new factory will serve about 35,000 small sesame producers in the central provinces of Sofala, Manica, Tete, and Zambézia, who already have a market for their product.
“This is the transformation we want to see throughout Mozambique. Therefore, each administrative post, each district, each province must find its productive potential, the basis for industrial and social development. Our task as the central government is to create consortia, facilitate business, and reduce red tape so that investors can do business freely,” Chapo said.
He added that only in this way can income be generated for households, as well as job creation, taxes for the state coffers, and foreign exchange for the country.
“Mozambique is among the world’s largest sesame producers, and so, I wanted to take this opportunity to invite Mozambican youths who are looking for work. This factory still doesn’t have enough raw material. The owners of this factory are asking for land, about 26,000 hectares, so they can create their own farms, but even then it won’t be enough; they will need to buy unprocessd sesame”, he said.
Sesame cultivation currently sustains more than 35,000 small producers. “Nationally, sesame production is around 200,000 tonnes per year, with the districts of Dondo, Caia, Chemba, Marínguè, Nhamatanda, and Gorongosa standing out”, he said.
Chapo requested that the factory’s investors establish a cashew processing plant to increase production so that processed products leave the country. “A cashew nut processing plant generates thousands of jobs, mostly for women, and it is our task to generate employment for Mozambican youth and women”, he said.
(AIM)
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