Inyange eyes markets beyond EA region

Barely months after the launch of the new Masaka production plant, Rwanda’s leading locally branded beverage industry, Inyange Industries, is eyeing markets beyond the East African Community. The company’s top officials told reporters last week on Friday that Inyange is planning to extend its presence in Southern Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. Currently, Inyange products are present in DRC, Burundi, Uganda, and Tanzania. “Inyange Industries was built with the aim of looking at the markets beyond Rwanda. When you look at the plant’s capacity production it’s beyond the local market,” said the Marketing and Communication Manager, Victor Kinuma. Kinuma explained that to meet the requirements, the company has improved the quality of the industry’s products and also that it has changed the packaging to meet the international standards, increased the range of products and try to make the products affordable to everyone. The new plant worth $35 million (Rwf20.6 billion) was built after realizing that the domestic demand for all Inyange products was much higher than the previous facility. The new plant has the capacity tenfold the old plant in Gikondo. The plant has the capacity to produce 6,500 litres of water per hour, and 5,000 litres of juices per hour, making the production sufficient enough to supply the local market and export. The industry’s Commercial Director, Alvin David Akelola, revealed that as far as expansion is concerned, entering the Kenyan market is on advanced stage. Akelola also said that as the expansion campaign continues to grow, 25 percent of the industry’s total sales go to exports as we targeting to increase as we venture into other markets. The Head of Farmer Mobilisation Department, Nils Zirimwabagabo, said the Industry has put up a system to help farmers and cooperatives to improve on their production and they have partnered with Bureau of Standards to facilitate farmers carry out proper agricultural practises to improve productivity and supply to the plant. “We also working with RARDA and Girinka farmers to collect milk from major milk basins in the country,” he added.Officials brushed off fears that the dry season had affected the plant, saying that the dry season affects them in a positive way as people get more thirsty and they buy more of their products. “We used to experience these problems with three years ago especially with milk products but with the One Car per family project now we have enough milk supply,” Zirimwabagabo said. Zirimwabagabo also revealed that by September, the dairy plant which was still at Gikondo old plant will be moved to new production plant in Masaka. Management also added that they are planning to carry out awareness campaign to sensitise the public the Industry’s products to avoid counterfeits. Ends