Southern Range receive first AGOA export order
Oct 06, 2002
SOUTHERN Range Nyanza Limited, a Njeru-based textiles group, last week got the first order to export textiles to the USA under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA)
By Frank Sserwaniko
SOUTHERN Range Nyanza Limited, a Njeru-based textiles group, last week got the first order to export textiles to the USA under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA).
The managing director, Viren Thakker said Friday that they had received an export order of women’s blouses worth $15,000(about sh27m) to the US. He said the order is due for delivery on November 15.
AGOA is a US trade initiative in which products from Sub Sahara Africa enter the US quota and tariff free.
“We are expecting other orders of children pants, table cloths and bedsheets for which samples have been sent,†Thakker said.
He said that although the first order was relatively small, it represented a historical breakthrough to a huge market.
This was at the launch of their new brand of bedsheets named ‘Heritage,’ at the ongoing UMA show at Lugogo in Kampala.
Thakker described ‘Heritage’ bedsheets as both world class quality and very competitive.
“We are set to export these bedsheets to South Africa, the East African region and the United States,†Thakker added.
“We are expecting orders this month since the samples have already been approved by our trade partners,†he said.
He said the company had embarked on a $17m program to step up production capacity to specifically meet the AGOA and other export market demands.
He said the process of redesigning and restructuring their Jinja-based factory they embarked on recently will be complete by October 15.
Dr. Maggie Kigozi the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) Executive Director who also visited the NYTIL house at Lugogo, advised the company to promote their product in the local market as well.
“You should not assume that the local people cannot afford new clothes.
Our per capita income has been growing over the years, and all you should do is to promote your products,†she said.
SOUTHERN Range Nyanza Limited, a Njeru-based textiles group, last week got the first order to export textiles to the USA under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA).
The managing director, Viren Thakker said Friday that they had received an export order of women’s blouses worth $15,000(about sh27m) to the US. He said the order is due for delivery on November 15.
AGOA is a US trade initiative in which products from Sub Sahara Africa enter the US quota and tariff free.
“We are expecting other orders of children pants, table cloths and bedsheets for which samples have been sent,†Thakker said.
He said that although the first order was relatively small, it represented a historical breakthrough to a huge market.
This was at the launch of their new brand of bedsheets named ‘Heritage,’ at the ongoing UMA show at Lugogo in Kampala.
Thakker described ‘Heritage’ bedsheets as both world class quality and very competitive.
“We are set to export these bedsheets to South Africa, the East African region and the United States,†Thakker added.
“We are expecting orders this month since the samples have already been approved by our trade partners,†he said.
He said the company had embarked on a $17m program to step up production capacity to specifically meet the AGOA and other export market demands.
He said the process of redesigning and restructuring their Jinja-based factory they embarked on recently will be complete by October 15.
Dr. Maggie Kigozi the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) Executive Director who also visited the NYTIL house at Lugogo, advised the company to promote their product in the local market as well.
“You should not assume that the local people cannot afford new clothes.
Our per capita income has been growing over the years, and all you should do is to promote your products,†she said.