6 minute read
SOSOMA Industries LTD: Leading in nutritional flours
To support local farmers, DUHAMIC-ADRI a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) experienced major complexities that farmers faced with low productivity and lack of local processing plants for their produce by starting a small production unit to process grains.
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With a mission of supporting development through integrated initiatives of the rural population in the fight for self-development; It assisted farmers and carpenters to improve their skills and productivity, DUHAMIC-ADRI which was established in 1979 worked tirelessly but found that as productivity grew there was no value addition to farmer’s harvests hence falling short of the intended goal of producing nutritious foods to fight malnutrition.
Having their primary cereal and pulses grains as Sorghum, Soybeans and Maize, a name was forged as SOSOMA (So: soybean, SO: sorghum, MA: Maize) which started value addition to produce flours. In 2008 after seeking local partnership and equipped with two hundred twenty-six million Rwandan francs Sosoma Industries Limited, an agro-processing industry was established in Kigali as a private company with 2,269 shares. DUHAMIC-ADRI has promoted the creation of SOSOMA Industries Ltd in order to further improve quality, increase the quantity and make more available the best products and services originally provided by SOSOMA production unit.
SOSOMA flours are rich and balanced food for all age groups. It was appreciated by all who have consumed it: adults and children as nutritional, adequate and safe supplementary (solid) foods at six (6) months together with continued breastfeeding up to 2-years and beyond for its taste, flavour and milling (sieving size). SOSOMA Products are most helpful for feeding people exceptionally within difficult healthy circumstances: people living with HIV, settings where mortality due to diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition remain prevalent; adolescent mothers; infants and young children who are malnourished; and families suffering from the consequences of complex emergencies.
Diogène Ngezahayo, the Director General of Sosoma Industries Ltd says the factory kicked-off its agro-processing operations with less than five Cereal based flour products that were initially produced by its main shareholder, DUHAMIC-ADRI production unit from sorghum, soybeans, and maize.
The company which started as a small and medium enterprise with a few products has grown into a household brand when it comes to cereal flours. Currently, Sosoma Industries Ltd produces twelve (12) different products sold on the local and international markets whereby six are single flours from Maize, Soy bean, red and white sorghum and wheat, three are composite flour made from blending soy bean, Maize and/or sorghum, the last category is fortified flour by which a list of minerals and vitamins are added to composite flour to prevail over the malnutrition intricacies very stern for children, pregnant mothers, breastfeeding mothers and some groups of persons with disabilities.
Initially, SOSOMA could only produce between 600 – 700 tonnes of flour but has increased this figure to over 1,500 tonnes per year. All products contain high protein and energy recommended in nutritional supplementation.
The products are prepared in accordance with national, regional (EAC Standards) and international standards of food hygiene and food industries management (ISO 22000:2005 and HACCP: hazards analysis and critical control point) under supervision of the RSB (Rwanda Standards Board).
SOSOMA Industries Ltd now processes cereals-based flour, certified with related products specification standards (S-Mark or Standardization Mark). The system into which the production processes are undertaken is certified with RS ISO 22000:2005 (Food Safety Management System) and certified with RS 184:2017- Food safety system based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) — Requirements for any organization in the food chain.
Ngezahayo explains that the company has its own laboratory to ensure high standards and quality of products is maintained. Laboratory tests of Sosoma products are also conducted to ensure consistency in quality for those who wish to export its flours to international markets (Europe, America and Africa).
“Our biggest tool on the market is the quality of our products,” observes the Director General of SOSOMA Industries Ltd. The uniqueness of Sosoma products is having blended flours; this is intended to produce high nutritious food that can be obtained from different grains if blended and somehow fortified with vitamins and minerals.
In bid to improve nutrition in Rwanda, different institutions including the Ministry of Health and public health organisations have procured Sosoma products which are distributed to vulnerable individuals affected by malnutrition.
Apart from ensuring that Rwandans get nutritional foods, Sosoma Industries employees an exclusively local workforce. The company has 20 permanent staff and employs about 50 casual labours on a seasonal basis.
Sylvestre Rwasamanzi, the Technical Maintenance Manager of SOSOMA Industries Ltd says that he has worked with the factory for about twenty years. He observes that his job has been rewarding and mostly enjoyed the many benefits from innovative technologies the company promotes.
“A lot has changed since I joined this company in 1998, innovation has been promoted and this is why we remained at the top. Our products have helped many in uplifting nutrition in the country and our standards have never faltered,” says Rwasamanzi.
To reach this milestone different actors have supported SOSOMA agro-processing and some of these include farmer cooperatives that supply them with quality grains, some government institutions, health and social Non-governmental organisations among other stakeholders.
The company sells about 95% of its products on local market with the remaining exported to regional markets particularly in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo-Brazzaville and other markets in Belgium, France, USA and Canada.
Ngezahayo underlined that, Sosoma Industries has contributed to the welfare of the population in value chain. The company has also scoped some awards; President Paul Kagame awarded them for best medium tax payer in 2010, was ranked among the top 100 companies in 2013 and in 2014 received the Africa SME Champion Award.
Sahasra Sahasra
Call: (+250) 787 396 820 , (+250) 786 780 893
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