29 Nov 2017

 Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse has informed Parliament that  P8.1million was spent in setting up the National Agro Processing Plant (NAPRO) in Selebi Phikwe.

Answering a question in Parliament on Tuesday from the Member of Parliament for Selebi Phikwe, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse, Mr Autlwetse said the annual cost of running the plant WAS P5.8 million, which included employees costs of P3.6 million.

He noted that actual raw material inputs since May 2016 to November 17, 2017 was  as follows; tomatoes 29.74 tonnes, cabbage 9.78  tonnes, beetroot 20.04 tonnes, onions 5.02 tonnes and carrots 5.34 tonnes.

He said materials were kept minimal while establishing production and operational processes in the plant, as well as establishing market outlets for finished products.

He said once the market for the processed products was adequately established, it was  projected that the plant would require the following quantities of produce on monthly basis for a single shift operation; tomatoes 32.02 tonnes, cabbage 16.17 tonnes, beetroots 20.04 tonnes, onions 36.47 tonnes, green pepper 1.24 tonnes and carrots 15.05 tonnes. 

Furthermore, Mr Autlwetse said the products were sourced from a total of 56 farmers from areas which include; Gobojango, Selebi Phikwe, Bobonong, Tonota, Chadibe, Tsetsebye, Palapye, Sherwood, Zanzibar, Francistown, Serowe, Mogapi, Machaneng and Mahalapye.

On the other hand, Mr Autlwetse said the total amount paid to farmers from May 2016 to November 22, 2017 was P229 099.68.

The NAPRO produces tomato sauce-plain, tomato sauce-chilli, tomato sauce-onion, pickled beetroots, mixed vegetable pickles, pickled onions and dried vegetables (onions, rape and cabbage.

The NAPRO products, he said, could  be found at 35 Choppies shops around the country, Sefalana Phikwe, seven Shoppers shops around the country, Saverite Kanye and general dealers along the eastern corridor of the country.

The shops presently stocked were selected on the basis of them having high sales potential, affordable distribution costs, and provision of high visibility of the Harvest Haven brand.

The assistant minister said the total sales since commissioning the plant (September 2016- October 2017) was P183 064.90 while loss made during the year 2016/17 per audited financials is P2 137 804.

MP Keorapetse had asked the assistant minister to state the  cost to set up and run the plant  including salaries of employees.

He further wanted the assistant minister to state the amount of inputs in terms of tonnage of each crop used and the number of farmers, areas they come from and the crops they supply to the plant.

The legislator had also wanted to know how much the farmers were still being paid annually and what products were produced by NAPRO, where they were sold and how much profit had been generated thus far. BOPA