Intiti M AG A Z I N E
Agro Lead processing Story
SINA GERARD / Enterprise promoting Urwibutso agro-processing “The company production philosophy is premised on delivering the best products that can match the standards in some of the most sophisticated markets; the reason is because they are exported to other countries around East Africa and Europe,” he underlined. Sina Gerard / Enterprise Urwibutso started producing doughnuts from flour as the first product and others followed. “Agashya” is perhaps the best known amongst the family of drinks by the entrepreneur and among the first locally produced quality drink while the “Akabanga” chili oil a very popular item is sold into foreign markets. By Jejje Muhinde He is commonly well-known as Rwanda’s foremost agri-business entrepreneur. His interests are diverse spanning restaurants, bakeries, a juice and wine factory, a school and extensive land holdings. Sina Gerard says he started practically with nothing, his rise to the top is a basically because his business is oriented towards agroprocessing. The company he started Sina Gerard / Enterprise Urwibutso is located at Nyirangarama in Rulindo District, Northern Province about 45km north from the City of Kigali. For those travelling, a stop at Urwibutso is a must because of delicious and freshly goodies. Sina’s moving story is the best
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September 2018
example that opportunities in Rwanda’s agri-business sector can give to real and upcoming entrepreneurs. “My enterprise is agri-business based; we use technology to add value to our products. For instance, we use innovation and technology make juice out of pineapples, carrots and bananas,” he explains. “I started with a small bakery in 1983. My parents were farmers and I baked products from the farm,” Sina Gerard recalls. Once Sina Gerard’s company was placed on a sound footing, he diversified his portfolio by adding value to his products like; bread, tomato ketchup, honey, biscuits, Akandi mineral water, natural jam pastry and flours from soya, maize juices and wine.
“My products become popular and that enabled my businesses to grow”, he says one of the reasons is because of good leadership and deep reforms from the government which has given us the opportunity to boost made in Rwanda products those we today export to other countries, “he adds. The Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), agricultural experts and consultants have credited his products like bread, juices and ice cream as well as crisps as biofortified food crops with highly nutritious values for feeding children in order to fight chronic malnutrition especially stunting. Sina Gerard is a true business visionary. One way of ascertaining such a claim is his firm belief in what education can do to the
