Rwanda Development Bank (BRD), is set to construct a $4 million (Rwf2.5 billion) cassava flour processing plant according to information from the bank’s top official. The plant is expected to be operational in less than 10 months.

The bank’s Acting Managing Director, Jack N. Kayonga, after signing a partnership deal with a Brazilian Company Electrical Bio-Solar Ltd (EBS) said that the cassava flour processing plant will be located in Ruhango District, Southern Province.

Kayonga added that partnering with EBS is a huge opportunity for Rwanda.

"EBS has an experience of over 25 years in cassava flour processing business and with there technology they have Ruhanga Plant will be able to produce 60 tonnes of cassava per day,” Kayonga said.

"This company will be selling us supplies, services and technology for processing cassava flour and the implementation is in process and the first step was the signing of the contract between the two companies and the next step is to tender the construction and the project will be complete by July next year,” he added.

Kayonga also said that  the plant will create 12 permanent jobs and several temporary jobs to the local population, farmers will have ready market for their harvest and the finished products will be sold to the local, regional markets and international.

"This is in the line with the bank’s mandate and the plant will help uplift lives of our natives especially cassava growers because Rwanda is capable of producing 1million tonnes per day if well exploited,” he added.

The bank’s top boss said that they expect the production capacity to be 60 tonnes per day which will make 15-20 tonnes of cassava flour for human consumption and 12-15 tonnes of solid waste per day which will be used fertilisers or animal feeds depending on cassava varieties.

"BRD is mandated by the government to act as the investment arm financing the nation’s development objectives with a focus on the priority sectors of the economy,” he said.

"It is in this framework that BRD is currently in the process of financing and setting up strategic projects all over the country,” he explained.

BRD is the leader of productive investment and the most profitable bank at the service of poverty reduction.

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