By Peter Nyanje, The Citizen on Saturday Reporter
(email the author)
Posted Saturday, September 14 2013 at 09:10
Posted Saturday, September 14 2013 at 09:10
In Summary
China’s ambassador to Tanzania Lu Youqing, announced the plan in Shinyanga.
Shinyanga. China yesterday unveiled a cotton
investment plan expected to restore the economic vigour of the
struggling sub-sector in the Lake Zone region.
China’s ambassador to Tanzania Lu Youqing, announced the plan in Shinyanga.
He said the investment would include construction
of ten cotton processing factories with the view of adding value to
improve cotton farmers’ earnings and create an estimated 30,000 new
jobs.
Under the same plan, two Chinese companies, Xing
Hua Investment and Dahong Textile (T) Limited will construct four
factories for processing livestock products and cotton respectively.
Other factories whose plans are in the pipeline
include soap and oil production. China promised to also construct an
agricultural college in the area to train cotton farmers on best farming
practices.
The ambassador, who was accompanied by CCM
secretary general Abdulrahman Kinana and Shinyanga regional commissioner
Ali Rufunga toured a textile mill under construction in the area.
The manager of Dahong Textile, Ms Ting Lin, told the delegation that the factory would start production by the end of this year.
Ms Lin said they were also constructing a 20
kilometre power line from Shinyanga sub station to the factory. The
manager pleaded with the government to streamline the cotton sub-sector
to level the playing field.
The Xin Hua Investment board chairman’s assistant,
Ms Tina Mugisha, said the firm was planning to construct a beef factory
and another for processing of skins and hides.
A ranch was also in the cards, she reported, while
also asking authorities to control smuggling of skins and hides so as
to make their investment worthwhile.
Later, Mr Rufunga said the region’s plan is to
attract at least 25 factories by 2015. “Our main challenge now is the
low production from our crops and livestock but hope China’s experience
will boost our people,” he said.
In China, on average, a cotton producer reaps four times more than what their Tanzanian counterparts.
Mr Kinana said infrastructure expansion in Shinyanga was a key investment incentive but warned against red tape, bureaucracy and delay to make simple decisions by relevant authorities.
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
Mr Kinana said infrastructure expansion in Shinyanga was a key investment incentive but warned against red tape, bureaucracy and delay to make simple decisions by relevant authorities.
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN
