TANZANIA – TanChoice, a meat processing firm in Tanzania is investing US$10m in a new facility, located at the Coast Region of Tanzania.
The company says that construction works of the factory has reached 99 per cent with trials of the machines scheduled before end of the year, while full operation is set for early next year.
The plant that obtained the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) developer’s license from the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) last year, will have capacity to slaughter and process 1,000 herds of cattle and 4,500 goats and sheep per day.
According to EPZA Investment Promotion Director Mr James Maziku, the project is expected to create over 500 direct jobs and will strategically help the livestock sector graduate and unlock the challenges of commercialising it.
In addition, it will create a new middle-class Cluster of business dealing with fattening of cattle, goats and sheep for supplying to the factory.
The strategic location of the meat factory close to the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) will provide easy access to the port and the regions with high population of cattle, goats and sheep.
“The meat processing factory will reduce and ultimately end smuggling of livestock to the neighbouring countries that has been reaping immense benefits from processing and exporting various livestock products,” he noted.
The meat factory targets 100 per cent export markets of European Union and Arab United Emirates.
The by-products during the slaughter process namely livers, brains, hearts, sweetbreads (thymus and pancreas), fries (testicles), kidneys, oxtails, tripe (stomach of cattle), and tongue will be sold in the local market and others exported to the huge Chinese market.
Also, some by-products like the blood from the animal slaughtering are important raw material for the production of poultry feeds. The Cow horns and hoofs will be used for making buttons for clothes and handbags.
Tanzania has one of the largest livestock populations in Africa with 13.5 million heads of cattle, 5.5 million goats, 3.6 million sheep, 0.4 million pigs and 23.2 million chickens, according to statistics by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.
The livestock sector contributes only 7.4 per cent to Tanzania’s GDP whose growth is at 2.6 per cent which is significantly low.
According to a recent report, Tanzania reduced its meat imports during the 2018/2019 period by 63% from 1,401.96 tonnes to 516.63 tonnes.
This was majorly supported by various initiatives adopted by the government aimed at increasing local meat production and consumption.
Besides imposing strict measures to control imports of livestock-related products and instead stimulate exports, the country has also committed to improve domestic investment environment with an aim of attracting more investors.
Tanzania imports meat from different countries including Kenya, Dubai, South Africa, England and Belgium.
