Rwanda, through Vision 2020 seeks to transform itself into a middle income nation by the year 2020. One of the pillars of this vision is practicing modern agriculture and livestock farming targeting the regional and global market. It seeks to replace subsistence farming by a fully modernised, commercial agricultural sector.  Key policy areas to bring about this transformation include the promotion of agro-based manufacturing.Kubumwe Enterprises, a Huye based, agro-based manufacturing plant has embraced this Vision. The New Times’ (TNT) PAUL NTAMBARA talked to company Director, Dr Celestin Kubumwe. Excerpts:

TNT: How did you venture into the agro-based manufacturing business?
KUBUMWE: This was largely due to my training. I hold a PhD in Food technology which I obtained from Italy. Secondly, I realised that there was a void in the food processing business in Rwanda.

When did you start this business and how has it been received?
Barely a few months, we started production in February this year and I must say the demand for our products is overwhelming.

We cannot satisfy the market. We have orders from schools, hotels, supermarkets and abroad. We have to increase our production capacity to meet this demand.

Tell us about the business
We supply well prepared and nutritious packed food which saves time for consumers and is environmentally friendly because it does not require a lot of firewood as is the case with schools and prisons.

A consumer only needs to warm the food and it is ready for consumption.

We have invested about RFW350 million into the processing of beans, maize, peas and tomato sauce. We produce 10 tonnes of these products daily.

You have a tender to supply processed food to prisons in the country; do you have the capacity to deliver?
First, the arrangement is in its pilot phase. We are delivering food only to Huye and Nyagatare prisons.

We are looking forward to partner with government which will see the expansion of our production capacity so as to serve all prisons in the country.

We plan to produce 100 tonnes daily once more equipment is installed.

There are media reports that the food you serve to prisons has expired and sometimes of poor quality and that the quantity is low, what is your take on that?
First, it takes six months for our food to expire. We have been in this business for only two months so the allegation that our food has expired does not hold.

There is a possibility of food going bad as a result of damaged packaging. In such a case we always demand that such food is destroyed and we replace it at no cost.

Our food has been tested by the Rwanda Bureau of Standards and found to be of good quality.

We are supplying the same food to big hotels, supermarkets and schools. There has not been any complaint as regards quality. We just cannot meet the market demand here and abroad.

Upon request from authorities, we increased the quantity from 700 grams to 900 grams of maize and beans.

How do you intend to satisfy the increased demand for your products?
We have procured more equipment from Italy. Once it is installed we hope to double our production capacity.

We also encourage other business persons to come and invest in the business. The opportunities are enormous. We cannot do it all alone.

Which other products do you intend to invest in?
In future, we intend to begin processing honey, local beer, producing oil from avocado, sugar from pineapples, concentrated milk and food for children.

What challenges are you faced with?
The quality of food products supplied to the plant is poor. Many times we are forced to reject products such as beans and maize from suppliers from as far as the Eastern Province because of poor quality.

Farmers should take great care for their produce if they are to find market.

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