A Chinese farmer who has called Botswana home for over two decades has opened Botswana’s first moringa products manufacturing business called Moringa Technology Industry (MTI).
Registered in 2014, the business which is currently in the process of producing samples of moringa tea, juice, powder and tablets among other products to be submitted to the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) for approval and certification, looks forward to exhibiting its products at the country’s tenth edition of Global Expo Botswana, themed ‘seizing opportunities through networking with global business leaders’.
Benni Motshwasele, the Moringa Technology Industry, Managing Director believes the four day event that will kick off on October 30, 2018 will give them the exposure they need to sensitive locals and foreigners on the availability of their products.
“The plan is to eventually distribute the products to all retailers, wholesalers and pharmacies across the country. Once the local demand is met, we will export,” said Motshwasele.
MTI’s holistic production capacity is still to be tasted, however, with the ability to produce 30 bags of tea leaves per minute, and potentially make 3000 noodle bags weighing 500g each per day, Motshwasele is confident they will be able to meet local demand and export.
The Moringa Technology Industry boasts of over 14 state of the art, China, custom made machinery.
“I have invested millions into the business,” said Hu Yan, who is the Founder of Moringa Technology Industry. “I have had to buy cars, I hired labour – not just for the workstation but for the actual farming of the trees because we grow our own trees here, I have also invested in seeds – planting 10 000 seedlings, and in building the space we manufacture in from scratch,” said Hu.
After five years of working behind the scenes, Hu is happy to share his dream with Botswana and the rest of the world. “I could not have accomplished this without Jamali’s help. He allowed me to use his land. He believed in me, that the idea would work,” he said. Business mogul Sayed Jamali, came to Hu’s rescue after partnerships with two different locals failed. Nevertheless Hu is still advocating for moringa tree farming by Batswana, as he believes citizens have a lot to benefit from this untapped industry.
Hu Yan’s business is located in the outskirts of Tlokweng village. Given the fact that Botswana is a semi-arid country with unpredictable rainfall, Hu believes moringa is one plant that can help Botswana eradicate poverty. In October last year after partnering with Sayed Jamali, Hu planted 10,000 seedlings at the Tlokweng farm. After three months, most of the trees had grown to over three meters long. Subsequent to that he packaged several product samples and took them to the former President of Botswana for appreciation and approval.
“I plan to export to China, America and Europe. This tree cannot grow in those countries because of freezing weather conditions,” he said.
Hu’s Moringa Technology Industry has since employed seven people – two women and five men. The company plans on hiring more people after certification by BOBS.
“We hire everyone. Educational background and experience is not a requirement to us as we have never had the moringa business being done this way in Botswana. We teach our own employees how to plough moringa and how to eventually process it into finished products,” said Benni Motshwasele.
To ensure that products are up to competitive standards, MTI has taken all necessary steps to equip its employees with hygiene and food handling skills. All this is done while ensuring that safety precautions in the workplace are adhered to. “We have since equipped all our employees with first aid skills,” he said, stressing MTI’s desire to empower the youth.
Moringa is a versatile plant whose every part can be eaten or used as ingredients in traditional herbal medicines. Its leaves are an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals such as protein, vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Iron, riboflavin (B2), vitamin A (from beta-carotene) and Magnesium. The pods are lower in vitamins and minerals, but they are rich in vitamin C. The plant that is native to North India is rich in various antioxidants. These include quercetin and chlorogenic acid. The moringa leaf powder that MTI is also going to produce can increase blood antioxidant levels, and can lower cholesterol levels, potentially reducing the risk of heart disease.
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