Cemex ventures plans major investment in Dodoma’s sunflower oil production

DODOMA: CEMEX Ventures Limited is set to invest over 100bn/- in constructing a modern factory that will produce sunflower cooking oil and other products.

The factory is equally set to produce bathing and laundry soaps, powdered soaps, glycerine, cosmetics raw materials, and animal feed by-products.

Speaking here during a visit by the Dodoma Regional Commissioner to the site, Frank Goyai, the factory’s General Manager located in the Kizota Industrial Area in Dodoma, announced that the investment could exceed 100bn/-.

He mentioned that Cemex Ventures Limited, a Tanzanian company fully owned by Mac Group, was established in 2023 after acquiring the long-dormant Pyxus factory.

“To date, the company has invested over 100bn/- and created jobs for more than 110 employees, with plans to increase production from 50 tonnes to 100 tonnes per day within the next two months,” he noted.

Additionally, the company has been allocated 30 acres in the Nala Industrial Area and anticipates significant investment to build a modern factory focused on producing cooking oil, soaps, glycerine, and other products.

“Through its main brand Zeti Sunflower Oil and the new international brand Golden Harvest, Cemex provides safe, cholesterol-free oil enriched with vitamins and certified by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS),” he said.

He highlighted that the benefits of this investment include creating over 110 jobs.
The company has also purchased over 8,000 tonnes of sunflower seeds.

On her part, the Dodoma Regional Commissioner, Rosemary Senyamule, expressed her happiness to see such a significant investment in cooking oil production.

She stated that the government’s ambition is to boost cooking oil production from sunflowers and other oil-bearing crops like peanuts.

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Currently, sunflowers are considered a strategic crop.

“The government’s expectation is to achieve self-sufficiency in oil production, as a significant amount has been imported,” she remarked.

She also emphasized that the government has a responsibility to resolve challenges faced by investors to ensure they can operate efficiently.

“I have been informed there is a challenge regarding the availability of sunflowers, which presents a great opportunity for farmers to increase production as market opportunities abound,” she said.

She urged stakeholders to collaborate to find ways to enhance sunflower production.

“The government has initiated irrigation farms and must explore how sunflower production can be integrated into these farms; a strategy is essential,” she added.

She called on the District Commissioners of Bahi, Chamwino, and Dodoma, areas with major irrigation projects, to come together to develop this crop through irrigation farming.

“Our goal is to develop the Dodoma region by attracting investors,” she concluded.

Jabir Shekimweri, the District Commissioner of Dodoma, stated that the factory plays a significant role in sunflower production.

“Producing 50 tonnes of oil daily is not a small investment; they produce 18,650 tonnes annually. We need to explore how to collaborate with them as they buy sunflowers from farmers and also create jobs,” he said.