{{Over 30 fruit processors and extractors this Friday concluded the second phase of training in hazard control, quality assurance and preservation during wine and juice processing. }}
The training is meant to groom fruit processors and extractors into large scale companies that can operate independently, contribute to the national development and compete favourably in the East African market.
Participants in the three day training were middle range income wine and fruit juice processors from the six districts of the country.
This workshop was opened by Mr. Kabera Celestin a coordinator at Masaka Business Incubation Center (MBIC). The training was organized by Association for Microfinance Institutions in Rwanda in partnership with Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
Kabera urged trainees not only to be present for trainings and take everything theoretically but also to put an initiative to ensure that they make use of RDB so as to get registered and recognized.
This would facilitate them where necessary purchasing better production equipment so that they can compete favourably in the regional market.
Being the second phase the trainees were briefed about the previous trainings where they were trained on hygiene and safety in work houses or production plants and later introduced to hazard control, use of preservatives and alcohol content measurement in wine production.
Hategekimana Jean Paul a lecturer at KIST facilitated the first lecture on food safety and quality assurance control where he pointed that “consumers are becoming aware of the importance of safe and high quality products through media mainly”.
He urged juice processors to put into practice what they were taught about quality assurance and food safety seriously.
More to that the participants had practical trainings on wine processing and packaging they were given insight on how to apply preservatives and additives during production and finally how to brand their products which they call “etiquette”.
The training was conducted by Mr. Juvenal Ndayisenga a Food processing consultant at BIO HOTICULTURE APICULTURAL, and Mr. Ralf Loepez GIZ- Technical Adviser with RDB.
The training was concluded with the participants being briefed by KCB bank and Airtel officials who noted that the main reason why there is slow progress and growth in these peoples’ business is because they lack immediate capital which makes it hard for banks to give them loans since they don’t even have certification from RDB.
Thus they will be working with AMIR towards partnering with these middle range income fruit processors to grow and boost their production income.
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