Tanzania: Tanzania Breweries Limited to purchase barley locally from 520 growers

In effort to feed its own brew, Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) through its plant in Arusha, has recently organised an exhibition that went hand in hand with training on best practices for growing barley, The Citizen reported on July, 21.

The project, dubbed as SAIDIANA, brought together more than 200 barley growers from Karatu, Hanang and Monduli districts.

Addressing the media during the exhibition, the company’s head of the project, Dr Bennie Basson, said the training aimed at giving farmers a chance to discuss and exchange ideas and experience on how to farm and get assured markets for their produce.

Apart from that, Dr Basson said that the SABMiller subsidiary had set strategies to ensure that all companies under SABMiller purchase barley locally from growers. To that effect, TBL will enter into special agreement with more than 520 growers in 11th financial year for the company so as to be able to buy raw materials locally.

“Currently our firm imports barley so as to give the farmers opportunities to tap in the next season. It’s very important for farmers to grow barley in a professional way so as to get good products and therefore get more money as we instructed them“, he said.

According to Dr Basson, the majority of barley farmers have failed to meet the demand in the market.

The demand for malt is estimated to be 14,000 metric tons. Noting the malt produced in the country was only 40 per cent.

For his part, the financial manager in the Northern zone, for TBL, Eliangiringa Lyimo, said that the company would make sure that the farmers who have contract with TBL are being supported to get seeds and inputs.

“TBL has seen the importance of including financial organisations and companies’ trading inputs and conducting training at the exhibition,” he said.

22 July, 2011