Bakeries boost Uganda’s flour Industry

Aug 20, 2009

TWO gentlemen and a lady are boarding a Gaagaa bus to Arua. Sophia Nandume says as she points at them: “Their rolexes will be ready in 10 minutes.”

By John Kasozi

TWO gentlemen and a lady are boarding a Gaagaa bus to Arua. Sophia Nandume says as she points at them: “Their rolexes will be ready in 10 minutes.”

Carrying used plates and cups, she meanders through the crowd of passengers at Arua Taxi Park, to her table stacked with wheat dough ready to be rolled into chapatis.

Adams Amenya, the general manager of UNGA Millers, Uganda and Radhamohan Kesanapalli, the CEO of Kengrow Industries, says rolex makers and bakeries have been instrumental in the growth of the wheat industry for the last 15 years.

“The rolex business is an important economic venture. Most of these young men and women use two to five wheat bales per day,” Amenya explains.

“We sell them an EXE bale at sh34,000 (12 packets). A sh3,200 2kg-packet makes between 20 to 30 chapatis.

“With a minimum of two bales a day, a rolex maker earns a net income of about sh130,000,” says Amenya.

UNGA, a Kenya-based holding company, is 100 years old. In Uganda, it mills 98% wheat and 2% maize. It deals in 2kg flour for home use, 50kg for bakers, with a 90kg one made on special order.

UNGA was the first company to introduce the 2kg-EXE packet in Uganda.

Kengrow, based in Jinja, was established in 1995 to manufacture edible oil and laundry soap. They started wheat flour milling in 1998.

“Our product range includes nans, roti and crystal form like sugar for samlina (sooji), which is packed in 2kg and 50kg,” says Radhamohan.

Amenya and Radhamohan say they source most of their hard wheat from Argentina, Russia, Ukraine, US, Karzistan, Poland and Australia. Five percent of the soft wheat is from hilly Kapchorwa, eastern Uganda.

Wheat flour is the finely ground endosperm of the wheat kernel separated from the bran and germ during the milling process.

All-purpose flour is made from hard wheat or a combination of soft and hard wheat from which the home baker can make a range of products such as bread, cakes, cookies, pastries and noodles.
The hard flour is blended with the soft one, an important ingredient in grading wheat flour. Its level determines the elasticity and viscosity of the dough.
UNGA’s and Kengrow’s product range are Atta Mark and Atta brands used for bread and chapati. Both are self-rising.
Amenya says their wheat business has doubled in the last three years due to increased demand. The storage conditions of wheat flour determine its shelf-life. When stored in a cool, dry place and fumigated periodically, flour takes six to eight months while wheat grain stay up to 20 years.
“We recommend buying flour that won’t last in the store for more than two to three days) except if you are far from us or an agent. As UNGA we uphold quality,” Amenya observes.

UNGA’s products can be found in Kikuubo, supermarkets and retail shops everywhere. They also have outlets in Southern Sudan, DR Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.

Kengrow has depots in Jinja, Kampala, Kasese, Arua and Mbale, as well as distributors in Mbarara, Masaka, Lugazi, Mukono, Iganga, Mbale, Lira and Tororo.

Amenya insists that the Ministry of Health and Uganda National Bureau of Standards should instil hygiene guidelines for bakeries and Rolex makers.

Radhamohan says Kengrow was the third company in Uganda to take on wheat milling after Uganda Grain Milling and Premier that was bought by Aya. Uganda now has 10 milling companies importing about 200,000 tonnes of grain wheat.
“Some of it is re-exported to Southern Sudan and DR Congo after milling.

Challenges
Ferrying wheat from Mombasa is expensive. The industry needs to be protected from external competition with low taxes.
World wheat trade was estimated at 108 million tonnes in 1995, most of which was imported by developing countries.
Despite increase in production during the past three decades, developing countries account for two-thirds of all wheat imports.

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