New juice factory to open next year

Handeni. A new fruit canning and juice bottling plant, currently under construction, will be opened at Kwamsisi village in Handeni district, Tanga Region next year.

The facility will be operated by Sasumua Holdings Limited, whose director Rory Nightangle, said it will process and pack pineapples and bananas for local consumption and for export.

He said the crops will be grown at Kwamsisi whose soils are fertile enough for the cultivation of a range of fruits.

“Plans for the construction of the plant are in the final stages,” he said, adding that they have a green light from the central government as well as the local authorities to embark on commercial cultivation of fruits in the area.

According to the official, this would be one of the largest fruit canning factories in Tanga and will employ hundreds of permanent workers and casual labourers. During his recent visit to the site, the Handeni District Commissioner Godwin Gondwe lauded the project investors, saying the government would render every necessary support to ensure operations at the plant took off.

“We are assuring the residents of Handeni of employment and market for their fruits.”

when the plant starts production”, he said.

However, the investor could neither give statistics on the production nor the investment made in the multi-million shilling venture.

A councillor for Kwamsisi, Hassani Mbezi, called for the speeding up of implementation of the project, saying it would be a boon to the remote area, often subjected to droughts.