First Stone Laid for Namacurra Rice Processing Factory

3 May 2011

Maputo — The governor of the central Mozambican province of Zambezia, Itae Meque, on Saturday laid the first stone of a new rice processing factory which will be built in the village of Gogodane.

The factory, which is 10 kilometres from the capital of Namacurra district, will cost 10 million US dollars and is expected to be completed by the end of next November, according to the daily newspaper “Noticias”.

With the capacity to process 150 tonnes of rice a day, the factory will produce rice for human consumption and bran for animal feed.

The rice processing plant is part of a larger project that also involves the construction of a cotton processing factory in Guro and a maize processing plant in Ulongue, in the central provinces of Manica and Tete respectively.

For the implementation of these projects the Chinese government has granted a loan of 30 million US dollars to the Society for Integrated Resource Management (SOGERI).

The raw materials will be grown in the districts of Namacurra, Nicoadala, Maganja da Costa, Mopeia and Morrumbala.

The region has huge agro-ecological potential and committed farmers, which were the main factors in choosing to construct the rice processing factory in the district.

Namacurra district has an area of 89,000 hectares available for rice production, with irrigation schemes in Mungonhane and Mitange. Trials are being conducted in Mungonhane by the Institute of Agronomic Research to look at the viability of having two harvests per year.

Speaking shortly after the ceremony, Itae Meque said that agro-processing would be one of the best assets for local farmers, as they will have the opportunity to produce, process and market their crop using modern technologies.

According to Itae Meque, the new factory will also pose a major challenge to the local farmers as they will have to work harder to increase production to provide the raw materials needed to keep the plant running.

Meque stressed the need to establish a better working environment between the Mozambican and Chinese workers involved in the project.

Also attending the ceremony was the commercial counsellor at the Chinese Embassy to Mozambique, Liu Hui Xao.

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