NYAGATARE: Maize farmers complain about the idle Maize Processing factory

By NAYITURIKI Anicet

Residents of Nyagatare District, especially maize farmers, have commended the construction of a Maize factory designed to process maize flour.

Maize farmers, on the other hand, wonder why the plant has not started operations while it has been around for almost two years.

The Nyagatare District administration says it is working with the investor so that the factory can start to benefit the farmers.

It was only in 2020 that the plant was expected to be officially launched.

Maize farmers in the district were expecting to get a market for their produce. However, they were deceived by the idleness of the factory while their produce was deteriorating on ground.

This delay in the start of operations also has a significant impact on the maize cooperatives operating in the district which also buys the produce of the Farmers.

In the beginning the factory investors assured cooperatives on the market making them to store the produce after being assured that the factory is about to start operating, and it ended up without opening the doors and thus causing them loss.

 Mr. Twiringiyimana Jean Chryzostom, President of the Association of Maize Farmers’ Cooperatives in the District, said that about Rwf 10 million was lost last year after the factory failed to start operations.

At that time, they collected more than 1300 tons but ended up losing them.

The complete plant costs over Rwf 800 million, and has the capacity to process 30 tons of maize per day.

Only reports say that in addition to the Covid-19 epidemic, another reason why it hasn’t started to work is that its machines do not have the capacity to process these tons.

The Vice Mayor for Economic Development, Mr Matsiko Gonzague, said they are working with an investor to rectify the shortcomings and reassure the public that the situation will soon be resolved.

The Nyagatare maize factory is built in the Industrial zone in Rutaraka in Nyagatare Sector.

Nyagatare District is one of the districts with the highest maize yields as the 27 maize cooperatives in the district account for more than 3,000 tonnes, while the total maize production in the whole district is 100,000 tonnes.