Malawian company to export chillies to US

Malawian chillies processor, Nali Limited, will late this year start exporting to the Unites States of America market under the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) facility.

According to Nali's Managing Director, Edward Labuwa Khoromana, the breakthrough follows endorsement by the US Food and Drug Association (FDA) on January 3 that the company's range of products were fit for export into the American market.

"We are ready to go and will be sending our first consignment in the course of the year," Khoromana said. "What we are looking for now are possible agents for distribution and marketing of our products."

Khoromana said Nali has a capacity of exporting at least two to three containers every month.

The benefits of these exports to America, Khoromana believes, will trickle down to various sectors of Malawi's economy."The country will get the much needed foreign exchange. Our exports will create more jobs, and the presence of our products on the American markets will create an awareness of the country's potential."

Khoromana said the company hires between 200 and 250 workers during peak season (March to September),but would require an extra 50 pair of hands once it starts exporting. "We work one shift now, but once we start exporting we want to increase to three shifts," Khoromana says. In addition, Nali expects chilly farmers spread across the country, whom Nali supports with seeds, to benefit from increased production of Nali products for export.

Nali's products already comply with Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS), International Standard Organisation (ISO) and HACCUP-a standard for the factory in terms of sanitation, food handling and raw materials.

Nali already exports to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and South Africa.

Khoromana thanked the Southern Africa Global Competitiveness Hub, which he said helped them with information pertaining to requirements of FDA by linking them to experts who could help them. Secondly, Khoromana says the company has attended three Fancy Food Shows America since 2005, the latest being between July 8-12 this year. He said the shows served as an eye opener on how their company could improve their products to meet the requirements of the FDA.

Daily Times