KIGALI - The East African Community Deputy Secretary General in charge of Planning and Infrastructure, Alloys Mutabingwa, has called on Rwandan investors in the Agriculture sector to always produce high quality products in order to compete favourably on the East African Common market.

Mutabingwa made the call Friday during a visit to Minotories Industrielles Import Export Company (MINIMEX S.A), a maize milling factory located in Nyarugunga sector in Kicukiro District.

He said that there is need for investors in the agribusiness in the country, to use modern farming techniques and advanced Information Technology saying that this will enable them increase their production and profits, and easily compete on the market.

Mutabingwa also visited the factory’s various facilities including where the maize is stored before being milled, the machines used in the milling process and the types of maize flour they produce.

"I thank the management of this factory for the tremendous progress you have made towards improving the agricultural sector, but I also advise you to always strive for promoting value chain as far as agriculture is concerned because it will help you fight poverty in the country and improve the financial status of Rwandans in the sector” Mutabingwa said.

Felicien Mutarikanwa, the chairman of MINIMEX, said that with effect from February this year, the factory will begin producing maize flour with various vitamins as a way of fighting against malnutrition among Rwandans.

Speaking to The New Times shortly after visiting the factory, Mutabingwa said; "First of all, the main reason for my visit to this factory is to see how far it has been able to showcase the value chain between ordinary farming, the processing and the end result where there is distribution of their produces to the market.”

"We are building a pro-business and investment community which is hinged on how much the private sector can do, because, even developed economies are developed because of the size of their private sector, not the size of their governments” Mutabingwa said.

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