Bagamoyo — Fruits growers in Tanzania have all reasons to smile after the coming of O.K holdings, a juice manufacturing plant based in the coastal district of Bagamoyo.

It is anticipated that locals will get jobs as well as market for their fruits after the firm opened its doors.

Speaking exclusively to East African Business Week in Bagamoyo, the firm Director Mr. Tamas Sandor said majority of the farmers should expect to benefit more from the newly opened distillery plant as they are now assured of the market for their fruits.

Mr. Sandor noted that the initial productions will adequate supply of spirit brands in Dar es Salaam. The firm envisages spreading throughout that East African region.

"This company will not be directly involved in farming these fruits like Banana, Pineapples, rum and lime and sugar cane.

"It will give chance to farmers to produce the fruits and sell them to us thereby boosting farmers' income and allowing them to produce more as well," Sandor said. He stressed that the fruits used in the processing of the fruit spirit brands products produced at its distillery include; Banana, Pineapples, lime and sugarcane.

These fruits varieties, he said produce a number of quality spirit brandy. They thus give a wide range of farmers to start producing more and improve fruits that would lead in improving their lives as well as growing the country's economy.

"These fruit spirits are now available in many supermarkets and bars in Dar es Salaam," Sandor said, adding that with an increased production, they look forward to opening more markets upcountry.

He said that his company is currently expecting to install some more machines with bigger capacity that will aim at boosting the production at their distillery, giving them an opportunity to open up for more markets in the country.

He repelled claims that the majority of Tanzanians will aim to benefit from his distillery company through direct employment. He said others will at the same time be offering a chain of distribution which will mean a lot more Tanzanians benefiting through selling of fruits to the company. Sandor said besides the majority Tanzanian citizens, his company also targets tourists that he says will be able to market Tanzanian made products abroad.

He says despite the country having a lot of natural resources, there were very few or no spirit brands that are wholly produced in Tanzania by using the available raw materials in the country (made in Tanzania brands) saying this leaves tourists with nothing to take to their home countries.

He insists that if tourists into the country each year can be able to take back to their home, products that are proudly made in the country by using the country's raw materials, this might not only be able to market Tanzania abroad but it might as well lead to improving the country's economic growth.

Sandor points out that he will soon be entering the East African market with an increased production as currently his company is unable to supply throughout the EA region due to low production.