Tanga - TWO American companies will invest USD 10m/- in sisal and enable the sector produce biogas electricity and sugar from sisal plants.

Sisal Quality Control Officer from Tanzania Sisal Board (TSB), Mr Yunus Mssika, told the 'Daily News on Saturday' that initial talks between TSB and the prospective investors have taken place after preliminary research and cost analysis. He said the production of sugar and bio gas would increase the value of the sisal.

In other sisal growing countries like Brazil and Mexico, sisal plants are maximally used and the countries earn a lot from the sisal sector.

"We need to revolutionise the sector, investors like these are good for our country...through investment the value of sisal plant can increase." he said.

He added that through sisal many items including building materials, bio-gas, manure and industrial materials are produced, adding value and increasing the national revenue. He mentioned the companies as TIERA Group which had shown the interest of investing in sugar production and U.A.G.E.S would concentrate on bio-gas development schemes.

He further said the research conducted by the companies' experts show that Tanzanian sisal has a lot of sugar, which could be processed for domestic and even outside market.

Clarifying on the biogas project development, Mr Masika said that once the project was over, it would increase the electricity supply of National Grid.

"Apart from increasing electricity, our farms also will have reliable power supply to run machinery which in the long run will reduce production costs," he explained.

He said sisal production in the country has been increasing annually after the revival of the old farms.

Source : allafrica.com
 

Posted on : 30 Nov,-0001