From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Fri Aug 21 2009 - 14:03:04 EDT
http://www.shaebia.org/artman/publish/article_5934.shtml
Diamond Agro Industry: Investment on Moringa
Mansour Nouredin, Aug 21, 2009
Moringa olifera, besides meeting humans and animals nutritional needs,
as has been studied by international medical researchers, it can cure
200 different diseases, says Mr. Habte Arefayne, General Manager of
Diamond Agro Industry.
Taking its myriad uses in nutritional and medicinal sectors
inconsideration and as it grows best in arid conditions and
drought-tolerant, the investment is recommendable, he added. Moringa
can be cultivated in most of Eritrea’s arable land, hence if the
investment has taken seriously, Eritrea can have a share in the
exportation of Moringa products to regional and international markets,
he notes.
Established in 2006, Diamond Agro Industry aims to fully utilize the
plant and fulfill the nutritional and medicinal needs of humans and
animals. Also the extraction of Moringa oil, tea leaves and other
value added products for local and regional markets was also part of
objectives explains Mr. Habte. A private agro-industry firm, it was
started with little capacity of 20 hectares of farmland. In due time
it has widened its activities and currently the agro industry is
cultivating 100.000 plants of Moringa in 100 hectares of farmland in
Adi Omer, Tessenei Sub zone.
The agro industry main products are edible oil extracted from Moringa
seed kernel and tea leaves and various kinds of animal feed. Diamond’s
newly introduced machines can squeeze 180 quintals of Moringa seed
kernel to oil, i.e. 7500 liters of Moringa oil per day. This means 45%
local edible oil demand can be met by it, he says. Besides, as the
seed kernels are also used in the manufacturing of perfumes it has a
long term plan to export seed kernel to France.
Moringa oil, besides being an edible oil, it also is used in body and
hair care as moisturizers and skin conditioners in the cosmetic
industries. Its high cosmetic value makes it widely demanded in the
international markets.
‘Mortea’ the agro industry’s Moringa tea leaves has been on sale in
the Eritrean festival 2009 and aftermath. The response has been
tremendous and the firm received significant suggestions which could
able the agro industry to standardize its product and contacts has
been established with foreign companies, adds Mr. Habte Arefaine who
earlier engaged on tea leave packaging ventures.
Such contacts will enable us to engage ourselves to process Moringa
tea which incorporates various flavors to mention but a few lemon
flavor, strawberry flavor, ginger flavor, apple cinnamon flavor and
mint flavor.
According to Engineer Iskinder Berhane, food technologist and
nutrition consultant, the newly introduced moringa tea leaves in
Eritrea has several advantages, be it in health and economy. The
leaves are processed through stringent quality checks using
proprietary process so as to preserve the essential nutrients such as
Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Protein, Calcium and Potassium.
Kenya has been known for its export on tea leave. Like wise, if we
increase our products and standardize the production process and
packaging according to HACCP, a standard that controls the safety and
preservation of food stuff and pharmaceuticals, and Good Manufacturing
Practices (GMP), which emphasize the hygienic preparation of consuming
products like tea leaves, it’s possible to enter in the regional
market and in due time to international markets, he noted.
Moringa, with 90+ nutrients, is the best source to nourish the body
with the essential nutrients. Dried Moringa leaves contain 4 times the
Vitamin A in carrot, 17 times the calcium in milk, 15 times the
potassium in banana, 0.5 times the Vitamin C in orange and 25 times
the Iron in spinach reads a paragraph at a medical website.
A recipient of a recognition certificate from the Ministry of
Agriculture, Mr. Habte continues, Moringa has been cited as a ‘miracle
tree’ for none of its parts are discarded thus all parts including the
byproducts are usable for humans and animals alike. Parts of this
plant such as the leaves, roots, seed, bark, fruit and flowers are
full of nutritious particles ranging from vitamins to minerals. From
the dozen of Moringa species, the agro industry selected Moringa
olifera as it grows best in the country.
Medical doctors use parts of the Moringa tree to treat diabetes and
high blood pressure. Also it can rebuild weak bones, enrich anemic
blood and enable a mother to nurse her starving baby. It is also used
as an agent for purifying water. Moringa’s powder can also be given
with DMK, a nutritive food both for adults and children for better
results.
In a televised program aired at the Eritrean TV last week, Mrs. Tekea
Habte, a home science teacher in Anseba region, said that Moringa
leaves can be also cooked in various recipes as a supplementary dish
in our daily lives. “Its flavor might not be different with other
dishes, yet as Moringa leaves are one of the most nutritious part of
the tree, if served freshly, beside a suitable substitute, it can be a
cure for hundreds of diseases.”
Apart from the job creation it created to about 120 employees, the
agro industry has been cited as an exemplary to other potential
investors and many are in the process of establishing a joint venture
on Moringa and Jatropha plantation says, Mr. Fikreyesus Gilay,
coordinator, Community Forestry at the Ministry of Agriculture. After
the launching of Green Campaign in the country three years ago, in
which so far 12 million seedlings were planted, the Ministry has been
campaigning on the significance of afforestation in general and the
use of moringa in particular. The investment in Adi Omer is a result
of such campaigns and the Ministry has been offering assistances,
continues Mr. Fikreyesus.
Diamond Agro industry, a pioneer in its kind and on such scale in
Eritrea, it can be cited as exemplary and is attracting potential
investors from Italy, he added.
“The Italians are considering for investment on large scale plantation
on Moringa and Jatropha and such investment will naturally benefit the
country in all aspects,” Mr. Fikreyesus, continued. So far the agro
industry has exported its products to several countries and the
response is encouraging says Mr. Habte Arefayne, general manager of
the agroindustry.
Such investment for it creates a job creation and generate hard
currency, it’s a timely responsibility of the concerned governmental
and non-governmental bodies to assist and promote such initiatives,
concluded Mr. Fikreyesus Gilay.
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