MINIMEX, a local milling factory will benefit from a Dutch initiative in the intensive commercial farming of maize in Bugesera district.

PSOM is a Programme for Cooperation with Emerging Markets to stimulate investments and commercial cooperation between Dutch companies and companies in several developing countries.

The initiative allows a local company to partner with any foreign company. MINIMEX partnered with Heineken International which also mandated Bralirwa a local brewery company.

Felicien Mutalikanwa the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MINMEX said they are expecting to get a support worth Euros 825,000 for the pilot project to grow quality maize in about 200 hectares. The company will also produce maize gritz a raw material for beer that will be supplied to Bralirwa.

The support covers 60 percent of the project and the remaining 40 percent will be shared among two partners. The funds will be disbursed in five batches and the project starts next month.

Emmanuel Hategeka Chief Executive Officer in Private Sector Federation said that MINIMEX is the first successful project locally to benefit from the initiative.

"Generally the project has not really taken off, but we (PSF) intend to have more sensitisation campaign to have local projects apply and benefit from the fund,” Hategeka said.

According to Mutalikanwa for their project to qualify for a PSOM investment project some criteria were followed including producing an innovative project that will have a positive impact on the local economy,  creation of additional employment, improve livelihoods, and it should needed by the local community.

Mutalikanwa said that in the first phase, the company intends to employ 57 workers and 50 percent should be women.
After the pilot project carried out on 200 hectares financed by PSOM, MINIMEX plans to mobilize more resources and expand the plantation to about 800hactares.

"Our factory is underutilised, that’s why we intend to grow more maize even after the after the financed projects ends,” he said.

MINMEX started business at the end of the year 2006 and has a machine that can grind 144 tonnes per day, but as of last year the company has been working at 8 percent of their capacity.

The company imports maize from Tanzania and Uganda which they consider to be expensive.

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