TWO local firms are finalising the process of producing juice from coffee pulps, often waste products from the coffee growing industry.
The idea came after some Lyamungo Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Society (Lyamungo Amcos) officers visited some countries in South America that produce juice from hot coffee pulps.
Lyamungo Amcos partnered with African Plantations Kilimanjaro Limited (APK Ltd) to produce the juice where the Amcos takes 10 per cent of sales.
The outgoing Lyamungo Amcos Chairman Mr Gabriel Ollomi said at the Society 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday that the juice will be produced in the country for the first time and will further add value to the corp.
“This will be the first time for this type of juice to be produced in the country. In Our initial negotiations we agreed that Lyamungo Amcos will get 10 per cent of the income from the sales of the product,” Mr Ollomi said.
The AGM also went in parallel with the entry into power of the new board of directors of the Amcos.
“The coffee juice is famous in South America countries like Colombia and Brazil,” the outgoing chairman said.
The agreement is that APK Ltd will produce the juice from their farm using the pulps after shredding coffee beans.
The Amcos had allocated a total of 150m/- for the collection of approximately 30,000 kilogrammes of coffee pulps in the next season, 2023/24 from its members.
The newly elected Amcos Chair was Mr John Nkya and his Vice Chairman Mr Orgenes Mlula.
Other board members are Mr Elihuruma Mushi, Mr Asanterabi Lema, Ms Janeth Ndanshau, Mr Reginald Massawe, Mr Timotheo Kwayu, Mr John Elimuu, and Ms Renalda Lema. Mr Gamalieli Shoo will be the representative of that Amcos but out of the board.
Meanwhile, the AGM was told that Amcos has allocated 23m/- for the construction of road and school infrastructures in the three villages, Lyamungo Central, Lyamungo Sinde and Lyamungo Kinyala.
Additionally, the Amcos increased the money allocated for fertiliser subsidy by 25 per cent to 175m/- from 140m/- in 2022/23 season.