Bakhresa Food Products to double fruit processing capacity with major expansion
TANZANIA – Tanzanian food and beverage industry leader Bakhresa Food Products (BFP) has announced plans to expand its fruit processing capacity in the coming financial year.
The move, aimed at meeting the growing demand from local and international customers, will see the company increase its annual fruit processing volume from 45,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes.
The company’s Head of Public Relations, Hussein Sufian, disclosed that BFP plans to invest Tsh20 billion (US$8.27M) in the expansion of its Mwandege Plant located in Mkuranga, Coast Region.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of this financial year.
“We believe by the end of this financial year, the expansion of the plant will be completed, and we will be able to process about 100,000 tonnes of fruits per year,” Sufian stated during the unveiling of the company’s revamped ‘African Fruti’ logo and packaging.
In addition to expanding its processing capacity, BFP has invested Tsh12 billion (US$4.9M) in modernizing its packaging and branding.
This includes the installation of a state-of-the-art packaging machine to enhance the appeal of its African Fruit brand.
BFP, a subsidiary of the Bakhresa Group, operates nine factories in Dar es Salaam and the Coast Region, manufacturing a wide range of beverages such as juices made from mango, pineapple, orange, passion fruit, and tamarind.
Over the past two years, the company has invested approximately Tsh200 billion (US$82.68M) in renovating and expanding its facilities.
Currently, BFP supports approximately 150,000 fruit farmers, a number expected to grow with the planned expansion. Since its inception, the company has invested around Tsh700 billion (US$289.4M) in its operations.
Additionally, BFP contributed Tsh180 billion (US$74.4M) in taxes last year and projects tax payments to exceed Tsh200 billion (US$82.68M) this year.
The company has also created 2,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs through its network of vendors.
BFP’s products, including juice, soda, ice cream, and bottled water, are exported to markets such as Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, and China, among others.
In 2022, the Bakhresa Group diversified its portfolio by investing US$300 million in Bagamoyo Sugar Ltd, which has an annual production capacity of up to 40,000 tonnes.
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