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Chibulunge tells textile industries to utilize all locally available inputs
2007-10-23 09:45:57
By Felister Peter and Rosemary Mirondo
The government has called upon textile industries to start using 100 per cent of the locally produced raw materials to boost cotton farming in the country.
The call was made yesterday in Dar es Salaam by the Deputy Minister for Industry, Trade and Marketing; Hezekiah Chibulunje during a Parliamentary Committee for Business and Investment tour at Nida Textile Mills Ltd.
The minister commended Nida Textile Mills Ltd for their initiatives to establish a mini processing industry that produces their raw materials, at Kahama in Shinyanga.
He said Nida has added to the value of our money by exporting ready made products like bed sheets, khangas and vitenge. In the previous years, unprocessed cotton was exported in large quantities, and hence increasing the cost of transportation.
Chibulunje described Nida as one of the good investor industries because it meets the governments expectations by creating employment and improving the cotton market.
“Nida Textile Mills Ltd has met the government’s expectation of attracting investors in our country because cotton farmers in Shinyanga, Tabora and Mwanza are now enjoying the benefits”, said the deputy minister.
Nida Managing Director, Muhammad Awais, said his industry has created more than 2500 employment opportunities to Tanzanians who include experts and assembly line workers.
Awais said that his industry has boosted the welfare of farmers by buying their cotton at a high price of Tshs 450 per kilogram while in the previous years a kilo was sold at Tshs 150.
Nida Textile Mills Ltd exports bed sheets, Khanga and Kitenge to Mozambique, Malawi, Uganda, South Africa and some parts of Europe.
He said due to the increased demand, his industry has increased its production by 40 percent.
The Parliamentary Committee was led by its chairman William Shelukindo (MP) who said that its committee has been impressed by what Nida is doing to our country.
He said that many investors buy their materials from outside the country causing the farmers to lose market of their products.
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