Soroti fruit factory starts production next year

Kampala. Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) has said it expects to begin test running the Soroti fruit factory next month after the remaining equipment is finally installed at the end of this month.

In an interview recently, Mr Emmanuel Mutahunga, the acting executive director UDC, said contrary to reports that the factory were shoddy way which has delayed its commissioning, they are in stage of operationalising the factory which should be commissioned by March next year.

“You can see the minutes and dates of meetings we have had with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and as we speak, the last batch of equipment is heading to Soroti for installation,” he said.

He added that what was perceived as shoddy work at the factory, are provisions which were deliberately left out to cater for installation of equipment so as to avoid double costs of finishing.

On whether they have fruit plantations to feed the factory with raw material, Mr Mutahunga said through Teso Tropical Fruit Cooperative Union, they are working with 57 primary cooperative societies to supply the fruits.

Asked whether they are satisfied with the quality of construction of the factory, Mr Peter Lubaale, the agricultural expert at KOICA, admitted that the factory has cracks which KOICA and UDC agreed to rectify because most of it is work in progress because most of the construction work is currently at 95 per cent and they hope that installation of the equipment is completed by end of this month.

“This factory has delayed because many things were overlooked initially and yet setting it up is like transferring a whole factory from Korea to Kampala and you know what that means,” he said.
The factory is being constructed using a $ 7.4m grant from the government of South Korea.

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