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| Business |
| Taiwanese firm to set up fertiliser factory |
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by
Rankin Nyekanyeka, 27 July 2004
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08:30:09
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Taiwanese firm, Coin Chemical Group has announced plans to establish a fertiliser manufacturing company in Malawi in 18 months’ time.
The company’s chairman Alex Ou, currently on a three-week feasibility study tour of the country, said on Friday he has held talks with various stakeholders regarding the project.
Ou says so far, he is satisfied with the business environment of the country and is determined to set up a complex fertiliser plant.
“Production should start within one and half years. We will start with something between 30,000 and 40,000 metric tonnes, which is about one fifth of Malawi’s total annual demand for the commodity,” said Ou.
The firm is yet to decide where to locate the factory, but the choice is between Lilongwe and Blantyre.
For a start, it will confine itself to fertiliser for maize and vegetables before exploring ways of extending production of fertiliser for tea and tobacco.
Ou could not commit himself to saying whether the fertiliser will be cheaper than it is now or not.
“Much depends on the principle of supply and demand. It will also depend on how much of local materials we will get. The more local materials we get, the cheaper the price will be,” said Ou, who is so far satisfied with the volume of limestone deposits as one of the ingredients required.
In his remarks, Taiwan ambassador to Malawi Hsi Tsan Cheng said his government has always been keen to encourage Taiwanese firms to invest in Malawi.
He said he looks forward to the day the factory will turn into a reality and pledged his government’s support.
Taiwan has had close ties with Malawi since 1965, particularly in the field of agriculture.
This is the third time Ou is visiting Malawi after his first visit in 2000 with a Taiwan Tan-An church service mission and in July 2002 when he accompanied Taiwan president Chen Sui-Bian. This time, he is part of Taiwan Presbyterian group visiting the country and he is its church elder.
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