By Our Reporter
Kampala, Uganda
TESO FOODS Ltd has announced an ambitious expansion programme aimed at establishing one of Uganda’s most diversified food-processing and value-addition operations, serving the domestic, regional and international markets.
The investment is being developed as a major joint-venture industrial project involving TESO FOODS Ltd and international technology and investment partners, bringing together Ugandan agricultural resources, international food-processing technology, modern manufacturing systems and access to export markets.
The expanded production portfolio will include instant coffee from Uganda’s Arabica and Robusta coffee, biscuits and cookies, chocolates and cocoa-based products, confectionery and sweets, dairy products, peanut butter, honey, tomato and chilli sauces, marmalades and other processed foods.
The project will place particular emphasis on sourcing agricultural raw materials locally wherever commercially and technically feasible, creating dependable markets for Ugandan coffee growers, dairy farmers, cocoa producers, groundnut farmers, fruit growers and other agricultural value chains.
Chairman of TESO FOODS Ltd, Capt. Mike Mukula, expressed great excitement about the investment and its potential contribution to Uganda’s industrial transformation.
“Uganda must progressively move from exporting agricultural raw materials to processing, branding and exporting finished products of international quality. I am extremely excited about this investment because value addition enables our farmers and our country to retain a much greater share of the economic value generated from what we produce.”
The development is expected to incorporate modern European processing, quality-control, food-safety, packaging and automation technologies, with production facilities designed to meet both Ugandan requirements and internationally recognised standards for regional and export markets.
TESO FOODS Ltd intends to develop the project progressively, building substantial manufacturing capacity while creating employment opportunities for Ugandans in food technology, engineering, production, quality assurance, logistics, sales, marketing and administration.
The company believes the investment can ultimately become one of the largest joint-venture food value-addition projects in Uganda and the wider East African region, while strengthening Uganda’s position as an emerging centre for agro-industrial manufacturing.
“This is ultimately about transforming what we grow into world-class products made in Uganda, creating jobs, increasing exports, supporting farmers and building strong African consumer brands capable of competing internationally,” Capt. Mukula added.
