SOMI looks to World Bank, Taiwan Mission to assist local farmers
12/02/2014 by Nomthandazo Nkambule
THE Swaziland Oil Milling Industry’s (SOMI) is banking its hopes on the World Bank and Taiwan Technical Mission to support local farmers.
SOMI Director Mohamed Daud said the two institutions’ help would see local farmers getting farm inputs that would enable them to produce more and supply the edible oil making company.
He said if farmers had all the necessary inputs, they would be able to plant the required amount of sunflower, cotton or soya to meet SOMI’s demand, adding that the company would be able to make more oil for the local market.
engaged
Daud said over 400 local farmers had been engaged through the ministry of agriculture to work with SOMI and they were expected to meet the demand of 13 000 tonnes of sunflower for the first phase production.
The director said the second phase would require a maximum of 26 000 tonnes for production to reach full maximum.
“SOMI is banking its hopes on the World Bank and Taiwan Technical Mission for aid to local farmers, which will enable them to intensify their production of sunflower, soya and cotton. We are looking at only local farmers supplying us with these raw materials so that we continue with making cooking oil,” he said.
Daud said the company invested E60 million in the country, with a potential employment capacity of 180 people at full production.
He said Overseas Investment set up base in the country in 2003 by acquiring land measuring approximately 3.6 hectares.
He said the factory had a capacity to crush up to 50 tonnes of sunflower seed per day and 30 tonnes refinery capacity per day. The director said the factory was divided into a number of divisions which carried the different processes of making edible oil.
competition
Daud said though they encountered problems in the past few years, the situation now was neither bad nor good, adding that they were still affected by competition from foreign oil companies that exported the commodity from their countries to Swaziland.
He said SOMI, together with the ministry of agriculture, would assist farmers to develop technical ability and that the country had a relatively huge market for edible oil.
The director said SOMI signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with government so that the levy charged to foreign companies assists local farmers.
Daud suggested that farmer cooperative associations must work together so as to supply SOMI with either sunflower, soya, cotton or ground nuts.
