HakiPensheni

Dativa Minja

DAR ES SALAAM: MORE than 300 jobs have been created as a result of the innovation of the processing plant to increase the value of palm oil in the

Dar es Salaam Region.

This was unveiled recently by the designer of the plant, Mr George Buchafwe when a team of journalists and the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH) team visited the plant located in Vingunguti in Dar es Salaam.

COSTECH gave Mr Buchafwe about 32m/- for designing the plant to simplify palm oil processing.

Mr Buchafwe said the plant has the capacity to process 1,400 liters per day of nutritional oil, and body lotion oil, washing and bath soaps.

“As a result of support from COSTECH which enabled to design this plant, we have been able to employ more than 300 Tanzanians amomg them 48 are permanent jobs.

“We do various activities to add value to the palm oil, including processing yellow palm oil, red oil which is beneficial for the human body because it contains vitamins A, D, E and K, laundry and bath soaps ,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said another plant has been located in Mkuranga District Coastal region where more than 150 palm tree farmers were received and offered processing services.

Ms Mwanaisha Hassan, a resident and palm tree farmer in Mkuranga District, said the presence of the processing plant is a saviour for palm tree farmers.

“Since this plant has been brought here, we have had an awareness of farming and others who were giving up on farming have started farming. In the past we used to let them rot on the ground.

“I have seen that there are people who have started clearing the forest and planting palm trees,” said Ms Hassan.

The beneficiary of analysing palm seeds and chaff at the factory, Ms Zainab Suleiman said the factory has helped them earn income to support their families.

“We used to come here early in the morning to sort out seeds and we fill one bucket for 2,500/- . In a day I can fill two buckets or other days I don’t fill even one because sometimes my kid disturbs me so I have to pamper him,” said Ms Suleiman

However, she said that although the work is difficult and have little children, they were grateful to God that they do not miss a day’s income.

On her part, Mariam Ramadhani said that the job at least enabled her to meet the needs of her family of five children.

The Mkuranga Factory Manager, Mr Pascal Mhina said more than 20 women come every day at the factory to sort out palm seeds.

“Approximately 20 women come here to look for a job sorting out seeds and most of them come with their kids,” he said.

The COSTECH Information and Publications Preservation Manager, Dr Philbert Luhunga said the visit was aimed to show how the money provided by the government through the commission gave positive results to the community.