The Kayunga pineapple processing plant is expected to create more than 200 direct and more than 10,000 indirect jobs for local residents and spur growth in the area. Government through NAADS has fully installed value addition- fruit processing equipment that will ensure quality products that will fetch more money leading to improving farmer’s livelihoods and incomes.
Robert Kibirango the Chairman Board of Directors NAADS says solar water pumping system has been installed for access to water as construction work of the value addition facility in Kayunga district stands at 80% complete
When you have the value chain in pineapple that means the market price and of the end product is going to be a little bit up . We are sure of long shelf life, we are sure of better prices , that’s why government came in to make sure that there is this processing plant”said Kibirango
Farmers in Kayunga say that they are ready to supply pineapples to the new processing plant in the district.
Bwenya Clement, one the farmers in Kito where the plant is found said they are happy with the government for providing the processing plant which he says will lead to development of the area and help farmers earn more money as they will be supplying the fruit to the factory.
NAADS is providing the equipment while the proprietors Sem Agrotech and Entebbe Miracle Centre are building the factory structure.
Through commodity clustering, NAADS provides the necessary equipment depending on common crops/plants grown in a particular area.
Kibumba Moses a farmer says 2000 pineapple farmers under their Kayunga district pineapple farmers association from Kayunga, Kangulumira and Busana sub counties will benefit from the processing plant.
Each farmer has an average of an acre of pineapple that will be feeding the plant.
He says before getting the processing plant, they were facing challenges including low prices for the pineapple due to bumper harvests.
According to him pineapple that would fetch 1500 shillings would be sold cheaply at 500 or 600 shillings so that the fruits don’t get rotten. Other farmers would through rudimentary ways would make pineapple juice which is of poor quality and other solar dry them and later sell them.
He is now optimistic that with the new plant farmers will be able to sell pineapples at better prices and also make high quality juice that can fetch high prices on the international markets.
In the past 6 years, NAADS has contributed towards the industrialization agenda by supporting farmers associations with value addition equipment and facilities with the aim of improving farmer’s livelihoods and incomes, providing market opportunities to farmers and contributing to import substitution.
NAADS purchases specialized agro machinery & equipment for production and processing along the agricultural value chains for agro industrialization. While making purchases, focus is mainly on appropriate household irrigation systems for water for production, tractors and matching implements for agricultural mechanization, Value addition- fruit processing equipment for Mango, Citrus and Pineapples.