Soroti Fruits Limited urgently needs shs19.6b from government 

Soroti fruit factory says it will start consuming mango fruits by October 2021

By Robert Edwomu

Soroti fruit factory will be ready to consume mango fruits by October. The newly installed mango processing line is in its final stages as factory conducts run tests.

The new line is expected to start operations in October 2021 and will consume 120 metric tons of mangos per day.

Douglas Ndawula Kakyukyu is the Chief Executive Officer Soroti Fruits Limited. He says the lines implanted through Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) have a septic filling that will enable the factory to produce ‘pulp and concentrate equally’.

Ndawula reveals that trials have been made and the plant will be ready to consume fruits by mid-October. This he reveals according to engineers.

He further stressed that, although the new lines have are added, pests and diseases which affect the quality of citrus required in the factory are affecting farmers.

He calls on the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) to intervene and rescue farmers from pests to enable them to realize the benefit of the factory by producing quality citrus accepted for processing.

Julius Martine Ekomu, the Finance Manager Soroti Fruits Limited, says that despite the mango line upgrade, the factory requires a supplementary budget of Uganda shillings 19.6 billion.

He notes a supplementary is to enable the factory to operate as a self-sustaining company and aid in purchasing substantial quantities from the farmers supplying citrus.

Soroti Fruit Factory is located in Arapai sub-county, Soroti City West Division.

The factory is a US$11.4m investment set up to process, mainly oranges and mangoes, to produce ready-to-drink juice and puree.

The corporation invested in this unit with the fruit farmers through the Teso Tropical Fruit Farmers’ Cooperative Union (TEFCU), with the corporation owning 80% and TEFCU 20%.