On Thursday, the Secretary of State for Sofala province, Cecília Chamutota, led the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the first Sesame Hulling and Processing Industrial Unit.

The project, owned by Robust International, LDA, a Singaporean company, is valued at 30,132,458 US dollars.

The plant will be built in Bairro Canhandula, in the Dondo district. It is expected to start operating in March 2025 and reach a production of 20,000 tons per year.

At the ceremony, Chamutota welcomed all the parties involved in bringing the initiative to fruition, and said that the plant will employ around a thousand workers, of which 95% will be local.

She stressed that the unit will improve access to producers, the educational level of the population and increase the inflow of foreign currency into the country. But she also recommended that the company interact with the business community and identify potential sesame producers.

The districts of Caia, Gorongosa and Marínguè are potential producers of the oilseed. In the last four agricultural seasons, the province produced around 65,000 tons of sesame.