Bakers, soft drink makers decry increasing sugar prices

Soft drink lovers will have dig deeper into their pockets to buy their favourite brand following prices hikes. (Frederic Byumvuhore.)

Sectors that use sugar as one of the key ingridients are in the red, following a surge of about 30 per cent in the prices of the sweetener. Sugar prices have been gradually going up since September, with a 50-kg bag now going for Rwf45,000 at depots, driven by huge shortages on the local, regional and international markets. Appolonia uwanziga examines the impact of the rise on local industries, especially bread makers and soft drink companies.
Gatabazi went to buy his favourite juice (Agashya) over the weekend and he was surprised to find the price had shot to Rwf4,000 a litre. The neighbourhood dealer had no clear explanation, only saying the wholesale price had gone up so he had to raise the retail price to make a profit.
Do not be surprised if you find the price of your favourite bread has shot up. Like juice and other soft drinks made using sugar, bread prices will go up any time, according to traders, because of the recent rise in sugar prices in the country. Sugar now costs Rwf1,000 per kilo in shops and supermarkets, up from Rwf800 at the end of October. This is an increase of Rwf200 or about 30 per cent, according to Augustine Shema, the chairman of the Bread Manufacturers Association.
Shema said the price of sugar has risen from Rwf35,000 per 50-kg bag in September to Rwf45,000 (as of last Saturday).
He said though the government scrapped taxes on sugar imports, the waiver has not helped the situation, noting sugar from the East African Community (EAC) is expensive. This has forced most importers to buy sugar from as far as Zambia and Malawi, and even Asia and the Americas.
“Sugar is more expensive in Uganda compared to Rwanda, so importers prefer to buy from Zambia or Malawi,” he said in an interview with Business Times over the weekend. Rwanda consumes over 100,000 tonnes of sugar per annum, most of which is imported.

Agashya pineapple juice, No sugar added and no food additives

Agashya pineapple juice, No sugar added and no food additives

Agashya enterprise for Nyirangarama

 Welcome to SINA Gerard Urwibutso Enterprise website!

Urwibutso Ese is pleased to welcome you to its website where you're find more about its products, activities, services and without forgetting its Online Webshop 

 where you can buy products online. Urwibutso Ese is established in the northern region of Rwanda, common known in Rwanda as Nyirangarama.

Urwibutso Ese is founded by Sina Gérard. He works with the local cultivators of his born region in Rwanda, thus Nyirangarama.

The founder of Urwibutso Ese is one of the most Economic Operator in Rwanda. He won many price in the development of the local economy in Rwanda. Indeed he receives many prices from the Président of Rwanda as recognizing what Sina Gérard does in economy of the local people at Nyirangarama.

Sina Gérard is also seen as example for other people in Rwanda for stimulating the local development in Rwanda.

Moreover more than 2000 people are active at the Urwibutso Eses. Urwibutso Eses is specializing itself in the agriculture,the main activity of more than 90% of Rwandan population and food processing, livestock.

They make grow many plants: fruits, flowers, vegetables, banana, ... And some of those products are proceeded in the Urwibutso's factory in juices, wine(banana),jam. With the most popular, Akabanga : Chili pepper sauce The livestock is mainly made of rabbits, ducks, cows, pigs,... The bakery of Urwibutso Eses makes also many sort of breads for its clients. You can also see them online on this site. read more...

Could a Hot Sauce from Rwanda be as Cult-worthy as Sriracha? (A Review)

Akabanga enterprise in Rwanda

 Sriracha chili sauce. You either love or abstain from its spiciness, but there’s no doubt that it’s becoming a standard condiment at many a dining table these days. Inspired by southeast Asia, the long red chili pepper-based sauce — particularly the Huy Fong Foods brand’s Tuong Ot Sriracha, with its signature green-capped bottle adorned with a rooster — has gained such a popularity in parts of America that it now has a sort of cult status, akin to bacon. However, sriracha isn’t the only hot sauce worthy of a cult. If you’ve tried one particular hot sauce from Rwanda, you might be convinced that it has real potential to be the next “hot” item.
Meet Akabanga, a hot sauce so spicy that you only need one or two drops of it — and conveniently, it comes packaged in little eyedropper bottles. Akabanga is similar to other hot sauce recipes in sub-Saharan Africa calling for African bird’s eye chili peppers, otherwise known as “peri-peri” peppers — or “piri-piri” or “pili-pili,” depending on what country you’re in. When dining across sub-Saharan Africa, it’s not uncommon to find jars of these chilies infusing with oil on a dining table. However, you’re less likely to see one of these homemade blends in Rwanda because one local businessman, Sina Gérard, has perfected the golden recipe and mass-produced it under the brand “Akabanga.” When traveling through Rwanda, I encountered the peculiar eyedropper bottle of Akabanga at virtually every restaurant.
The recipe is simple: 80% pili-pili extract (when the peppers are yellow), and 20% vegetable oil. With that high percentage of peppers, there’s no doubt that Akabanga rates high on the heat index: in the range of 50,000 – 100,000 Scoville Heat Units. That’s quantitatively 20 times hotter than Tuong Ot Sriracha! However, like any hot sauce, that intensity can be controlled by the individual eater, by the amount put on food. When I was introduced to Akabanga, I could barely tolerate one drop but, over time, have worked my way up to as much as three — but not more.
I say “over time” because I have it in my kitchen; I actually brought two dozen little eyedropper bottles of Akabanga home to America with me, after a vacation in the now peaceful central African nation known for its gorilla trek tourism. But I wasn’t the only one; at the airport in Kigali, I overheard other travelers bragging about how many little Akabanga bottles they had packed in their check-in luggage to bring home. Akabanga is only limited exportation out of Rwanda — and only to places like Japan and the UK — so if you have the means of getting your hands on a bottle of Akabanga, know how special that is, and use its heat wisely.
Speaking of heat: is it merely the heat in Akabanga that could make it cult-worthy outside of a Rwandan airport? No. Akabanga does in fact, have a distinct, unique flavor to it — one unlike any found in a red chili pepper-based sauce — that’s hard to describe. It’s partly smoky and a little bitter when it registers with your taste buds. Whatever it is, it’s great on eggs, meats, stews, soups — anything that could use a little kick. Obviously, there’s a shock to your system with the initial hit of its heat, but it doesn’t linger like other hot sauces out there.

How Urwibutso Enterprises is standing out to add value to Made in Rwanda

Urwibutso with made in Rwanda

 As locally made products are picking form both at home and on international market, the healthy, tasty foods and beverages from Urwibutso Enterprises are giving a new definition to ‘Made in Rwanda.’
Made from locally grown produce, are known by local names epitomising the spirit of Made in Rwanda. They include assorted fruit juices, confectionery, grape and banana wines, fruit jam, honey, flour, and the most famous Akabanga chilli sauce which has enjoyed popularity in Rwanda and across the world for its ultimate spicy kick.
Urwibutso’s contribution to society
Uwibutso employs hundreds of Rwandans as well as buying produce from thousands of local farmers. The workers include farmers, factory technicians, salesmen, among others.
The company offers training to local farmers and other agricultural supplies including free seeds and fertilizers.


 The Sina Gerard Foundation College
Sina has also founded the Sina Gerard Foundation College, a school that presently educates up to 1100 students in agronomy, veterinary practises among other disciplines.
“As a visionary who aims at the future, I founded this school to add value to the people so that Rwanda will have smart people that will help her. I do this out of passion, instilling faith about a better tomorrow. We expect that when they go out, they are able to be job makers,” he said.
He says that the school also aims at eradicating the poverty from the attitudes of people especially the youth so that they can be of profit to the nation and the world. read more...

SINA GERARD URWIBUTSO ENTERPRISE

Urwibutso enterprise

 Urwibutso Enterprise started in 1983 by a young and dynamic Sina Gérard with one employee as compared to 421 employees today. It uses local human capacity and resources to develop business which now benefit over 3,000 families. Urwibutso means something to remember, a memory. He started with a small shop located halfway on the journey to Ruhengeri, or current Musanze, and the bakery started working in 1985 at Nyirangarama.
At first, Sina Gérard offered free goat skewers and bread to travelers and drivers with the aim of allowing them to taste his products. Later, in 1993, after 10 years of business experience, Sina Gérard legally registered his business under the name of Urwibutso, delivered from people who taste his donuts.
At its embryonic stage, war and the 1994 Tutsi genocide interrupted the commercial activities of the enterprise for two years. In 1996, the company diversified its activity portfolio and became oriented towards agro-pastoral activities (passion fruit, banana and pineapple, red and yellow pepper, cattle farming, pigs).
In 1998, as a producer of a great quantity of fruits, particularly passion fruit, commercialized at a low price on the national market, Urwibutso Enterprise decided to introduce its commercialized juice under the brand Agashya.
In 1999, a carpentry workshop opened in Urwibutso with the major aim of developing skills of the local people engaged in carpentry. Urwibutso Enterprise provided training to over 200 workers in the carpentry workshop. Today, the carpentry workshop competes with other companies once there is bidding for any market nationally and on many occasions they have been successful.
In 2002, the enterprise began the production of banana beer called Akarusho and a natural honey conditioner.
In 2003, the enterprise introduced a red and yellow pepper oil called Akabanga to the market.
In 2004, the enterprise began the construction and public works activities.
In 2006, Mr Sina Gérard received an award in Frankfurt.
In 2007, the business of Urwibutso Enterprise was certified by the International Standards Organization (ISO), hinged on its achievement of adding value to local raw agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables.
The major focus, however, was to produce and process organic fruit and vegetable products in Rwanda under the following brands:
Urwibutso, for its donut, which as described above means a memory.
Agashya, for all juice products, which means new product.
Akabanga, for the famous chilli pepper sauce, which means small secret.
Akarusho, for all the alcoholic products, which means better than the rest, and family.
Akaryoshye, for its yogurt, which means the sweetest.
Akanozo, for its cereal flour, which means perfect.
Akandi, for its mineral water, which means other innovation.

Sina has built a huge business empire from a small bakery

sina showing some seeds

When he started out as a small baker in 1983, many people wrote him off as a joker. The then 20-year-old had started the small bakery with about $50 (about Rwf33,000 today) and raw materials from his parent’s farm.

Many thought he would not last a year in the then exclusive territory of largely old men, who had a lot of money. But he dared to dream and ‘forced’ himself into this exclusive club of older entrepreneurs.

Today, Sina Gérard is a respected model commercial farmer and agricultural produce processor,  in Nyirangarama, Musanze, Northern Province and has no regrets for having tried his fortunes at business.

Sina’s simple beginnings did not stop him from building a huge business empire that involves agro-processing and a restaurant chain.  

Growth and expansion

As the bakery stabilised and started bringing in good returns, Sina expanded and ventured into fruit juice-making, taking advantage of the numerous family fruit trees. With time, he realised that he could earn more money by applying advanced technology to process farm produce. So, in 1999, using savings from his business, he partnered with local farmers, bought juice-making equipment and also invested in juice preservation research.

Like he predicted, the move didn’t disappoint, which encouraged him to diversify his enterprise. That is how he started a piggery project, cattle, goat and rabbit rearing units, plus wine production.

The ‘never-say-die’, entrepreneur is now a proud owner of Urwibutso Enterprises, which runs a chain of restaurants, a water bottling company and biscuit and chilli-making factories. 

The former ordinary baker, who originally employed one person, now employs 280 full-time workers and about 3,000 others depend on his businesses indirectly.

He also gives farmers, hybrid cows, seedlings and trains them free of charge to make them better farmers.

Because of Sina’s business acumen, many people think that he went to some of the top business schools in the West. The no-nonsense processor is a self-taught, determined and result-oriented entrepreneur; that is his big plan.

“The reason I wake up every morning and work with zeal from morning to sunset is because I have an obligation to contribute to nation building,” he says.

Sina is now focusing on driving agricultural change in rural communities. Always the innovator, he has started producing strawberries rather than staple foods, and growing exotic fruits, such as grapes and apples for wine production. He also plans to expand his business empire into the export industry.

SINA, The name that defines Nyirangarama

 

sina explains the process of making one of his products

  If you have never made a stopover at Nyirangarama, perhaps you travelled while asleep.
This is the official stop-over point for travellers plying the Kigali-Musanze route. For travellers using public means, it is the only place the bus stops for you to grab a few refreshments and empty your bladder as well.
Legend holds that it started in 1993, as a small roadside mandazi shop until, eventually the owner,
Sina Gerard moved into food processing.
Today that name is synonymous with Nyirangarama, and no talk of it is complete without mention of Sina Gerard.
The stopover is called Nyirangarama, while Sina’s food processing empire is Urwibutso Enterprise. But Urwibutso Enterprise and Nyirangarama are almost one and the same.
The enterprise is a cluster of commercial buildings that house Sina’s diverse business interests, while a few of the premises are rented to service providers like banks and telecom companies.
Otherwise, it is one giant, indigenous business empire modeled along the lines of a social enterprise.
Food processing is the dominant activity here, and some of the products on offer are; assorted fruit juices, biscuits, cookies, banana and grape wines, fruit jam, bread, honey, flour, and the famous Akabanga chilli sauce.
The owner is a man whose life revolves around the outlying farmlands that dot his huge plantation, and on the Saturday afternoon when I stopped over for a chat, I found him driving out to attend urgent business with farmers. For a man who liaises with hundreds of peasant farmers on a first-name basis, such scenarios must be regular.
“I can say confidently that I’m a man who has no single enemy in this whole village,” he said in a rather cheeky way. “I work with all the farmers in this village, because all the food that I process here is bought from them.”
Nyirangarama has a VIP restaurant that houses a buffet and mini bar. Obviously it is meant for people with private means (unless, that is, you are going to eat your food in five minutes and rush back to catch your seat on the bus). This upper floor-based facility is mostly patronised by tourists, who occasionally come here to catch a Primus or try the brochette, although the majority come here to make use of the more private (and cleaner) washrooms.