By: Titus Akor, Makurdi.
The Benue Investment and Property Company, (BIPC), has disclosed that installation of equipment at the Fruit Juice Company in the Makurdi industrial layout has reached its final stage, with production expected to commence soon.
The Group Managing Director of BIPC, Dr. Raymond Asemakaha made the disclosure while addressing journalists after supervising the final phase and test-running of equipment at the factory.
Represented by the company’s Maintenance Manager, Engr. Henry Boager, Asemakaha expressed satisfaction with the installation process, which he said had proceeded smoothly, with machines already crushing oranges.
“Normally, the system has a capacity of crushing four tonnes per hour. We started with two tonnes, and the crushing rate is growing higher. It has gone to three tonnes per hour, and we expect to hit four tonnes to balance hourly production stability,” Asemakaha maintained.
Asemakaha explained that about 600 litres of juice had been crushed within three hours during the testing phase, adding that the extract juice was pre-heated and sent for separation before being transferred to the processing chamber.
“At the test-run level, 400 litres of juice are sent into the processing tank every 30 minutes, with over 2,200 litres sent to the chamber every hour for concentrate processing,” he explained, adding that the company expects to produce about 75 drums of concentrate a day, targeting two containers a week when fully operational.”
He further explained that after the test-run of the orange processing line, equipment for mangoes, pineapples, watermelon, tomatoes, and apples, already acquired by the government, would also be tested, expressing confidence that the factory would operate year-round, using raw materials available in different seasons.
On when the juice would hit the market, Asemakaha said the launch would depend on the output of the evaporators producing the concentrates.
He disclosed that the company had installed a functional cold room with a capacity of minus 20 degrees to preserve products for export and domestic use.
He commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for his unwavering support for the recorded successes and urged Benue farmers to sell their oranges to the company, assuring them of ready markets at reasonable prices.
“Doing business with Benfruit Juice Company will make farmers rich and enable money to circulate within the system for the development of the state.” GMD/MD disclosed.
