Food
industry goes big on health from the baobab tree
By Timothy Kitundu
Baobab (Adansonia digitata) sauce has been mentioned as one of the
foods in the group of functional foods that provide health benefits beyond basic
nutrition, carrying with it powerful healing constituents with the ability to
improve human health, a research scientist has revealed.
Juma Makweba, a research and development scientist with Foodtech Tanzania
Enterprise told The Express in Dar es Salaam recently that for centuries, baobab
and mushrooms have been used for many health purposes in Africa and Asia
respectively.
Makweba added that functional foods can be defined as those foods in which the
concentration of one or more ingredients have been manipulated or modified to
enhance their contribution to a healthy diet.
“A number of terms have been used to describe foods which contain natural
bioactive compounds that are health promoting, disease preventing, or have
medical properties. The terms include pharma foods, designer foods,
nutraceutical and vita foods,” he said.
He said, scientific evidence supports the role of diet in health promotion and
disease- prevention and or treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer,
coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis and a poor immunity
system.
This he said, has motivated food scientists and dietetic professionals to work
tirelessly with food industries, government and the scientific community to
respond to customer demands, however, stakeholders in developing countries have
not paid much attention regarding this type of research.
He added that the baobab sauce which his firm has already commenced making, is
formulated based on Eastern medicine, which looks at the body as a whole and
approaches illness from a broad spectrum while maintaining the definition of
functional foods.
“The product is formulated to be taken as part of a diet, accompanied with any
food of your choice while offering a number of health benefits,” he said.
He mentioned the healthgiving properties of the baobab sauce as: restoring
homeostasis in immuno-suppressed individuals, restraining blood platelets from
sticking together (an important factor in lowering the risk of coronary artery
disease) and the protection of the consumer against harm induced by free
radicals, which are produced by the presence of anti-oxidants.
The other benefits healthwise include offering anti-viral and anti-microbial
properties, to lower blood pressure as well as LDL and triglyceride levels,
anti-tumour, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy functions, and the increasing of
vital energy, the strengthening of tendons and bones.
Self-made businessman sets example
By Angela Mazula
The Director of George’s Wild Life Camp, which is located in Pugu Forest, has
underscored the importance of utilizing home-grown natural resources in an
effort to increase employment in the country.
Nazir Manji told The Express over the weekend that Tanzanians must get rid of
the prevailing mentality of securing employment in the civil service sector;
they should instead use available resources to create their own enterprises.
“When I started this investment of taking different species of wildlife abroad
it was like a joke to my associates, and they told me that I was doing a stupid
business,” he said.
He said eighteen years later the business had expanded, and he has decided to
invest in different sectors. Manji has expanded to Egypt, Russia and Singapore.
Protecting forests brings health and wealth to the economy.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Cultural Tourism Forest, in Arusha, Lotti
Sariyo, told The Express that natural resources for villages are very important
because exploiting them helps to prevent further soil erosion.
The forests are an important refuge for the many birds in rural areas used for
initiation ceremonies and also they are an important source of tourism, because
forests are an attractive part of the tourist industry.
Small Contractors should consolidate says CRB
By Angela Mazula
About 90 per cent of all registered contractors are in the lower classes of 5 to
7(that is, small contractor category), which makes them work under capacity, the
Contractors’ Registration Board (CRB) has revealed.
Speaking with The Express Monday this week, Malima Bundara, Chairman of the CRB,
said registered local contractors do not have a wide spectrum of opportunities
within which to carry out their contacts.
He said this brings about less cooperation with CRB and other contractors in the
country which makes it difficult to undertake large projects.
He added that the availability of substantial work opportunities is not made
known to these local contractors, instead only a small portion of available work
is accessible to them.
He added that in the road sector, where available works are to some extent
predictable since they are government funded, the market share for the local
contractors is relatively big.
Shein underlines importance of Kibaigwa market
By Merline
Mhamaka, Dodoma
Vice-President Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein has said that the official inauguration of
the Kibaigwa International Maize Market will have no meaning, if it does not
increase production and better the achievements for maize farmers countrywide.
If the international maize market raises incomes for the farmers, businessmen
and other people concerned in the maize sector, including the people who conduct
business in the international maize market, this will have lasting effects. .
Shein made this statement Thursday last week when he opened the Kibaigwa
International Maize Market for maize farmers in Kongwa District, Dodoma Region,
which he described to be a phenomenon unique in the African Union, and
especially in Southern African Development Community circles.
Bearing in mind the importance of the market, the Vice-President has urged
Dodoma residents to take care of it so that it benefits all Tanzanians for years
to come.
Kibaigwa International Maize Market Coordinator Jeremiah Maina, who also is
Tanzania Farmers Groups Network (MVIWATA) Chairman, said the project of
extending markets to villages, which is sponsored by the French Government in
collaboration with the Tanzania Government, has cost Tsh. 9.37 billion while
Kibaigwa International Maize Market has cost Tsh. 1.3 billion.
Maina said, the markets which are under the supervision of MVIWATA aim at
solving problems facing the farmers, including educating them on good modern
farming techniques to pull them out of poverty.
He requested the government to control markets emerging around the international
market and outlaw them completely, as they may cause reduction of revenue
collection, causing loss to the government and oppressing the farmers.
Local company makes glassware and, soon, water distillers
By Timothy Kitundu
Tanzania may no longer need to import from abroad basic laboratory glassware,
following the establishment of Dar es Salaam Scientific (T) Limited, a firm that
specializes in the manufacture of laboratory glassware.
Speaking to The Express, during the just-ended 29th Dar es Salaam International
Trade fair, Eustace Kabantega, Dar Scientific Managing Director, said that the
main objective of the firm is to supply basic laboratory glassware to secondary
schools and higher learning institutions, at competitive prices.
“Glassware imported from abroad is quite expensive due to overhead costs, that
is freight, insurance and a higher cost of manufacture,” he said. Adding that
the firm will later provide research centres and industries with specific
glassware at their requirement.
He said, the firm will fabricate most of the basic non-calibrated glassware for
secondary schools, and offer after-sales service, since glassware as a consumer
product is vulnerable to easy breakage, and repair work is needed.
Meanwhile, according to Kabantega, the firm is looking forward to starting the
production of water distillers, as up to now they have been imported from
abroad. Water distillers are expensive to buy and maintain after service as
spare parts are scarce.
The firm has already developed a prototype water distiller with a 7 litre – per
hour capacity; this was developed under a special programme that focuses on the
manufacture of water distillers.
According to Kabantega, distilled water is an important product, and is used in
laboratory for scientific analysis, in addition to medical use, and is also used
to dilute acid water in motor-vehicle batteries.
By Sebastian Gabunga,
Bunda
A quantity of illegal fishing gear worth Tsh. 59.9 million was captured and
burnt in Bunda District, Mara Region, between March and June this year.
Bunda District Fisheries Officer, Benjamin Mafuru, said this indicates that
illegal fishing in Lake Victoria is still practiced.
Mafuru gave this report during the destruction of other illegal fishing gear
nabbed between June 1 and June 19 this year in the villages of Nyatwali, Guta,
Kibara, Bulamba, Mwisenyi, Kasuguti, Nansimo, together with the Islands of
Bayanza, Namuguma, Machwela and Lwiga, in Bunda District.
The illegal fishing gear, which included 42 wide fishing nets, 1,000 fishing
nets with tiny holes and another 15 wide fishing nets for small fish, was
altogether worth Tsh 37.8 million.
The government in Bunda District has set aside enough funds for hunting and
confiscating illegal fishing gear to enable the fishing sector to remain
sustainable.
Super-modern new services for mobiles
By Timothy Kitundu
Celtel Tanzania, one of the big mobile phone service providers in the country,
has commissioned a new Core Network valued at Tsh. 21 billion, which includes
amongst other benefits the General Packet Radio Service features, providing the
ability to down load high speed data on the appropriate handsets.
The services are effected via the handset. Multimedia Messages Service allows
subscribers to exchange picture messages with friends.
Speaking in Dar es Salaam Tuesday, Celtel Tanzania Managing Director, Steve
Torode, said that other services to follow include pre-paid roaming, whereby
pre-paid customers will be able to roam as they travel to other Celtel networks,
and later in the year to many other countries worldwide.
According to Torode, the service was launched a few weeks ago. He however
advised customers to bear with them in the case of experiencing any
inconveniences.
Mkapa – invest in low-cost housing and big farms
By Express Reporter
President Benjamin Mkapa has challenged financial institutions in the country to
embark on low-cost house construction projects that would benefit a majority of
Tanzanians, according to a statement made available to The Express.
In talks with the visiting Citygroup President, Steven Long, at the State House
on Tuesday, the President said if financial institutions invest in low-cost
housing schemes, most people would be relieved from the burden of building the
houses themselves.
Mkapa said that arrangement would help a great deal in environmental protection,
averting the nuisance of unplanned construction.
In the talks, the President also called upon financial institutions in the
country to invest in intensive modern farming, it being the case that Tanzania
has a lot of land which would suit the needs of big investors and other farmers.
The President insisted that massive investment would widen the agricultural
sector by empowering small-scale farmers.
The Citygroup boss, who was accompanied by City Bank CEO for Europe, plus East
and Central Africa, William Mills, is in the country to mark the commemoration
of the bank’s 10th anniversary, as well as to meet with the bank’s customers.
“Away with ideologies, let’s have development,” says DC
By Sebastian Gabunga,
Mwanza
Sengerema District Commissioner, Esther Malyeta in Mwanza Region, has requested
the district residents to use the knowledge gained at seminars and workshops
conducted by the district council to discuss development issues, instead of
wasting time in discussing the ideologies of their political parties.
Malyela gave this advice when she opened the Second Workshop for Development
Stakeholders of Sengerema District Council, held in Sengerema town.
“Not every place is appropriate for political ideologies, if a seminar or a
workshop is concerned with development issues, discuss and make recommendations
and plan strategies which will accelerate people’s development instead of
talking about your political differences,” she observed.
Adding that the objective of initiating the multiparty system was to accelerate
the development of the people. We should therefore compete in bringing about
community development and leave out oratorical politics when we discuss
development.
Morogoro Municipality buys wonder machine
By Merline Mhamaka,
Morogoro
Morogoro Municipal Council has bought a surveying machine for Tsh. 30 million,
which will be used to survey over 2,000 plots in parallel with providing
construction drawings, to help residents who need plots for construction.
This assurance was given by Morogoro Municipal Council Executive Director,
Anthony Mageka, confirming that the machine at the same time as it is surveying
plots, will simultaneously provide construction drawings for the plots.
The survey machine, known as “Total Station” will, he said, reduce the problem
of surveying and drawing construction maps which takes a long time.
Besides purchasing “Total Station”, the Council has also purchased estates
amounting to 6,500 hectares for farmers to raise their incomes, as Morogoro
Region is famous for its fertility and diversity of crops.
The estates are in areas of Dumila in Kilosa District, Dakawa, Luhindo and
Kimambila in Mvomero District.
Small
businesses need help and credit too
By Angela Mazula
The government should provide subsidies to Small and Medium Entrepreneurs to
enable them expand their businesses, increase income, create employment and pay
taxes.
Speaking to The Express recently in Dar es Salaam, Hilda Olomi, the Managing
Director of Asilia Fruit Products, said “The government should create an
enabling environment to favour the growth of small businesses which have no
access to bank loans”.
She said Asilia Fruit Products is a company that produces 10,000 litres of
banana wines per week, which is sold mainly to supermarkets and hotels in the
country.
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