KAWEMPE– Hon. Evelyn Anite, the State Minister for Finance in charge of Investments has commended the proprietors and management of Ranchers Finest for the first class meat processing plant which has not only created employment for Ugandans, but it has also created ready market to farmers.
Hon. Evelyn Anite addressing the media at Ranchers Finest factory on Thursday.
During her visit to this plant located in Kawempe, Kampala District on Thursday, noted that the world class meat processing plant answers President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s call of promoting value addition on all Ugandan Agricultural products before they are exported.
“According to what I have witnessed here, there is no doubt that this factory is going to increase on our exports as a country. We all remember four years back when President Museveni visited Britain, Prime Minister Borris offered a table for Ugandan beef , but upto now we failed to fulfill that demand.”
The Minsiter also pointed out that the demand for Ugandan meat products worldwide, creates ready market to farmers, thus protecting them from unscrupulous businessmen who have been cheating them while buying their animals at lower prices.
“With such an establishment in our country, we can confidently say that Agriculture is the backbone of this country. I promise you that your Excellence the President of Uganda will commission this factory, its just a matter of time.” Anite promised
Concerning the challenges faced by the factory in relation to acquiring of international Certification, the Minister promised that they are going to work with the Muslim leadership and other stakeholders to ensure that Ranchers acquire the international Halal Certification which will enable it to tap into World wide market opportunities.
Minsiter with some of the Ranchers Finest products
Collins Nyanja, the Chief Executive Officer of Ranchers Finest, reported to the Minister that their investment is valued at 185 billion shillings, with a daily output of between 10 to 15 tonnes daily and last year alone they paid 1.6 billion shillings to government inform of taxes.
“ We employ 195 Ugandans in our company, with over 2000 employment opportunities created with majority of them being youth most women and youth. We have a total of 100 distributors 120 Institutions that we serve and over 500 touch points.”
He further thanked the Minister for having spared time from her busy schedule to visit them and promised that once the challenges raised are solved , they will increase productivity which will create more employment for Ugandans on top of widening the country’s tax base.
