03/08/2011 ( The Citizen Daily) - The Citizen Correspondent Dodoma. Various projects in Kigoma Region, including 18 small scale industries involved in oil palm processing, will get assistance soon.The government, through the Small Industries Development Organisation (Sido), and UN development agencies, have earmarked them for this assistance. The agencies include the WFP, UNDP and Unido.

The palm oil projects are undertaken in Ilagala, Bitale, Bubango, Mahembe, Kagera and Luiche villages  in Kigoma Rural District. In addition, one other palm oil processing project is in Kasulu District.  The minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Cyril Chami, said this  in reply to a question from Ms Agripina Buyogera (Kasulu rural-NCCR-Mageuzi).

She had required the government to construct palm oil processing mills in Kigoma Region instead of Dar es Salaam because oil palm farmers stay in the former region. Dr Chami said factories available in Kigoma Region use diesel as a source of energy and each one can produce over 600 litres of palm oil per day. This created over 372 employment opportunities, among them 126 permanent and 246 part time.

Further, there were 34 oil palm industries in Kigoma Ujiji municipality, he explained. He said through Sido the government supported the establishment of 18 factories located in a special area for small scale industries under Sido in Kigoma.  “The government has embarked on capacity building and empowering small farmers in processing palm oil step by step in Kigoma Rural District.

“Before 2009 there were a total of 59 small scale palm oil processing factories which could employ 693 workers, among them 218 being permanent workers and 475 casual labourers,” said Dr Chami.