World Bank supports rural women group in Iringa to establish rice milling and packaging industry
The World Bank, through the Resilience Natural Resources for Tourism Growth, for the Southern Circuit of Tanzania is empowering one of the women groups in Iringa to establish a rice production, processing and trading industry.
Members of the Jijenge Community Group in the Tungamalenga Village of Iringa District are investing in an ambitious project of establishing a modern rice processing mill, complete with packaging and labeling facility with intention to start exporting farm produce.
Jijenge Group Chairlady, Shani Richard, revealed to journalists visiting the area, that the envisaged rice factory is being realized through support from the Resilience Natural Resources for Tourism Growth (REGROW) implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism with funding from the World Bank.
“We want to add value to the rice grown in the area in addition to branding the products with trademark seals of origin, so that wherever our produce goes, be it to other regions, neighboring countries or even abroad, the rice will be known to have originated from farms Iringa District,” explained Shani Richard.
Tungamalenga village, qualifies for the support from the Resilience Natural Resources for Tourism Growth, because it is located adjacent to Ruaha one of the recipient National Parks in the program, other being Mikumi, Nyerere and Udzungwa.
Apart from infrastructural development and tourism boosting, REGROW also works to improve the lives and economies of local communities living adjacent to the protected areas.
There are several community groups in the rural precincts of Iringa, bordering Ruaha National Park, being supported under the ambitious program, Jijenge with 15 members, is one of them and the rice processing venture happens to be one of their various initiatives.
“This is a rice producing precinct but farmers have been sending raw and unbranded agricultural produce to other regions and neighboring countries, thus losing revenues and sense ownership,” added the Jijenge Group leader.
Apparently it will cost over 53 million/- the machinery will take over 42 million/- while the housing structure may be built at the cost of 11 million/- as of initial calculations.
Shani says REGROW will support them with funds for procuring the equipment , while the mostly women group members are to foot the cost of construction.
According to Shani, cereal dealers have been procuring rice and maize from Iringa then take the products for processing and packaging elsewhere, before branding the same with their own trademarks, while the Tungamalenga farmers who actually produced the foodstuffs get no credit.
The planned rice processing plant will be erected next to the Tungamalenga giant grain silo constructed by the government at the cost of 776 million/- as part of the ‘Big Results Now’ initiative.
“The facility is capable of holding over 5000 tons of grain, but in this case much of it happens to be rice,” explained Jacob Bartholomew Nzilanu the officer in-charge of the community grain silo.
According to Nzilanu, local rice growers are currently compelled to take their harvests to as far as Iringa Town, located some 95 kilometers from their paddy farms, for grading, processing and packaging.
“It is quite expensive and cumbersome, because it costs 8000/- to process a single 100 kilogram sack of raw rice and here you haven’t counted transport and handling,” pointed out the Nzilanu.
On his part, the REGROW focal person for Iringa District Council Frederick Chotamasege said the proposed Jijenge Group’s Rice Milling and Grading facility was a welcome project but they have advised the members to invest in larger machinery that can handle large consignments.
“Because we want their project to be sustainable and future proof; a bigger mill means they will be able to process all the rice harvested in the area, therefore there will be no need for farmers to look elsewhere or for other investors to bring competition against the women group,” he said.