Igara Tea gets global certification
Jun 02, 2011
THE Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has petitioned the newly-appointed ministers of trade and industry, agriculture and works to team up and pursue the development of infrastructure to boost agro-processors and manufacturers.
By Chris Mugasha
and Samuel Bagalade
THE Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has petitioned the newly-appointed ministers of trade and industry, agriculture and works to team up and pursue the development of infrastructure to boost agro-processors and manufacturers.
The UNBS quality assurance manager Gyaviira Musoke pointed out that despite efforts by manufacturers and processors to add-value to local products, marketing them beyond Uganda had remained a challenge.
He attributed this to lack of developed infrastructure.
Musoke noted that this had made it difficult for local products to penetrate and compete on the international markets.
Musoke was on Wednesday handing over a food safety management system certification to Igara Growers Tea Factory in Bushenyi.
The certificate is an international standards quality mark. It allows Igara tea products to be sold in the international markets across the globe.
Musoke said Igara was the fifth company in the country to receive this certificate.
He explained that due to the poor transport network, products from Uganda were being taken to other countries with developed infrastructure like Kenya where they are rebranded and sold to foreign markets.
“When tea processed in Uganda is taken to Mombasa, it is marketed as Mombasa Tea not Uganda Tea,†Musoke noted.
Robert Ejiku, the Igara group manager, said 95% of their products were exported. He stated that lack of the certification had delayed their efforts to access the international market.
and Samuel Bagalade
THE Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has petitioned the newly-appointed ministers of trade and industry, agriculture and works to team up and pursue the development of infrastructure to boost agro-processors and manufacturers.
The UNBS quality assurance manager Gyaviira Musoke pointed out that despite efforts by manufacturers and processors to add-value to local products, marketing them beyond Uganda had remained a challenge.
He attributed this to lack of developed infrastructure.
Musoke noted that this had made it difficult for local products to penetrate and compete on the international markets.
Musoke was on Wednesday handing over a food safety management system certification to Igara Growers Tea Factory in Bushenyi.
The certificate is an international standards quality mark. It allows Igara tea products to be sold in the international markets across the globe.
Musoke said Igara was the fifth company in the country to receive this certificate.
He explained that due to the poor transport network, products from Uganda were being taken to other countries with developed infrastructure like Kenya where they are rebranded and sold to foreign markets.
“When tea processed in Uganda is taken to Mombasa, it is marketed as Mombasa Tea not Uganda Tea,†Musoke noted.
Robert Ejiku, the Igara group manager, said 95% of their products were exported. He stated that lack of the certification had delayed their efforts to access the international market.