Kapeeka factory gets modern fruit processing equipment worth 3.4BN

In Summary
  • Facility  will  process 2 metric tons of fruits per hour and nurture more entrepreneurs to produce beverages
  • Factory processes mangoes, pineapple and banana into juices
  • Government through NAADS has spent ugx3.4 billion to procure the processing equipment at the Kapeeka fruit factory.
Image: NAADS Secretariat

Government through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) has installed state of the art fruit processing equipment in Kapeeka, Nakaseke district. The facility is a Rural Agribusiness hub managed by the Consortium for enhancing University Responsiveness to Agribusiness Development (CURAD).

The facility started in 2017 supporting and training entrepreneurs in production of beverages mainly processed mangoes, pineapples, bananas and related products. According to Apollo Segawa, the Chief Executive Officer CURAD, the facility gives technical advice and nurtures entrepreneurs to add value to fruits to make beverages.

The Factory in greater Luwero is a functional center where entrepreneurs would take their fruits and bananas for value addition and provide a market for their produce.

“We used to operate as a cottage industry handling few quantities of fruits produced within Luwero and Nakaseke districts, but with the modern equipment that we have received from NAADS, we will be able to process 2 metric tons of fruits per hour and nurture more entrepreneurs to produce beverages”, he said.

Hadijah Nakakande the Head of Communication and Public Relations · NAADS Secretariat and other officials inspecting the freshly packed fruit juice at the factory
Hadijah Nakakande the Head of Communication and Public Relations · NAADS Secretariat and other officials inspecting the freshly packed fruit juice at the factory
Image: NAADS secretariate

The facility processes mangoes, pineapple and banana into different products mainly juices. Segawa says with the new equipment, they will be producing packed juices for both the local and regional markets.

Before Government intervention through NAADS, the facility was producing less than 30,000 liters of juice a day, however, with the new equipment, it is expected to produce up to 10,000 liters a day.

The Executive Director NAADS Dr. Samuel Mugasi said  Kapeka fruit factory is one of the many value addition initiatives by Government through NAADS aimed at promoting value addition, reducing post-harvest losses and ultimately providing a market to fruit farmers.

“Since 2014, we have supported our farmers with fruit seedlings mainly pineapple suckers, mango, citrus and apple seedlings which has resulted into increased production. To ensure value for money and also provide a market to the fruit farmers, we have established fruit processing facilities in fruit growing regions. We have one in Yumbe, another in Kayunga, this one in Nakaseke, in Nwoya construction is starting soon and others in the pipeline for Greater Masaka and Busoga”, explained Dr. Mugasi

Speaking during the technical commissioning of the fruit factory, Dr. Mugasi said Government through NAADS has spent ugx3.4 billion to procure the processing equipment at the Kapeeka fruit factory. The factory is expected to start full scale production before the end of 2022.

Farmers in the region are excited about the new equipment saying it will enable them to sell more of their produce which sometimes goes to waste due to the small capacity of the old equipment.

Inside the new fruit Juice factory in Nakaseke
Inside the new fruit Juice factory in Nakaseke
Image: NAADS Secretariate

Lunkuse Mariam, a banana farmer in Namasengere village, Kisimula Parish, Kapeeka Sub County says she has been supplying Kapeeka factory with bananas (kayinja variety) for the past four years.

“I am excited and so expectant about the expansion of the factory because they will be able to take more of my bananas which sometimes have gone to waste because of low capacity” explained Lunkuse.

Mubiru William, another banana farmer in Kapeeka with 10 acres said the factory has been buying from him a maximum of 1 ton of bananas yet he harvests up to 8 tons in a season, leaving the rest to go to waste in the absence of other buyers. He is however, optimistic that once the new equipment starts full operations, it will buy all the 8 tons he harvests from his garden.

Mubiru has however appealed to government to reduce on the high fuel prices which have resulted into increased transport costs from their gardens to the factory and ultimately affected their income.

CURAD has mobilized over 20,000 fruit and banana farmers in Greater Luwero to supply the factory with the raw materials and plans are underway to mobilize more farmer supplier groups to produce pineapples, mangoes and bananas.