The factory, with an annual production capacity of 40,000 metric tonnes of high-grade cassava starch, will serve vital sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, animal feeds, packaging, and biofuel. The facility sources raw cassava from over 1,800 out grower farmers across the country.
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Museveni checking out the cassava
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has
commissioned a US$5 million cassava processing plant by Pura Organic Agro-Tech
in Kiramata village, Nabiswera Sub-county, Nakasongola District, marking a
major step in Uganda’s industrial value addition drive.
The factory, with an annual
production capacity of 40,000 metric tonnes of high-grade cassava starch, will
serve vital sectors such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, animal feeds, packaging,
and biofuel. The facility sources raw cassava from over 1,800 outgrower farmers across the country.
Speaking during the commissioning,
President Museveni underlined the strategic importance of cassava starch in
Uganda’s industrial development. “Cassava starch is very important. What you
take as a tablet is not all medicine—it is mainly starch,” the President said.
//Cue In: I hope you…..
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He added, “That pharmaceutical-grade
starch is crucial for making tablets. And yet companies like Quality Chemicals
are still importing starch from India. We must substitute those imports.”
He emphasized that using locally
produced starch could significantly cut pharmaceutical production costs. “Local
starch will make the tablets cheaper,” Museveni added.
“You need starch for
paper, for binders, and later, even for making alcohol. You can mix it with
petroleum and drive cars. So, I thank Ramesh for waking up. You Africans are
sitting on wealth but are always asleep.”
Ramesh Babu, the proprietor of Pura
Organic Agro-Tech, highlighted the transformative journey that led to the
factory’s establishment.
“When we first came to Nakasongola, our dream was to
grow maize,” Babu explained. “But the region’s position in a rain shadow made
that unsustainable. We adapted, experimented, and found cassava’s resilience to
be the answer.” That realization birthed a new
vision—not just for farming, but for industrial transformation.
//Cue In: What started…
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“Today, this modern plant represents
over $5 million in investment. We are no longer just farmers—we are part of
Uganda’s industrial growth engine.” The facility is already exporting starch to
Kenya and aims to expand its reach across the East African region.
Babu also praised the government for
fostering a conducive environment for industrialization: “Our leadership
continues to catalyse meaningful change across sectors. Without the support
from President Museveni’s government, this wouldn’t have been possible.”
He applauded the outgrower model
that has empowered hundreds of smallholder farmers:
“We provide clean planting
materials, training in good agricultural practices, and guaranteed offtake,”
Babu noted. “Yields have jumped from two to as much as six tonnes per acre. These farmers are not just suppliers—they are our partners.”
