The National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) today donated ceramic equipment to Nyanza Ceramics Company (Cooperative Poterie Locale de Gatagara) expected to improve the quality and quantity of ceramic products produced from the cooperative.
The cooperative is located in Nyanza district and engaged in the production of different modern ceramic products it sells to local and regional clients.
Members of the cooperative are upbeat saying that the equipment would help them boost the production in both quality and quantity.
Such equipment, include those used by electricity and their accessories will complement and or replace old and traditional equipment used members were using manually and are expected to double the production.
“This is a boost to our cooperative as we used to perform the bigger part of our daily work manually and we had a few machines and used more energy while the production was not good enough,” said the president of the cooperative.
“The equipment will complement what we had and help us use less energy and produce more products. Besides we will be able to produce well designed and uniform products, we believe the market will get more products and will like them,” he added.
Some of Cooperative members being trained on how to use newly acquired equipment from NIRDA.
The equipment worth over Rwf110 million include electrical three potter’s wheels, two rolling machines, 10 banding wheels, two chamber kilns, three pug mills, two glazing booths among others.
Speaking to members during the handover of the equipment Dr. Olivier Kamana, head of Applied Research and Development and Foresight Incubation said the equipment were donated to help members improve what they do by producing quality products to put on the market.
He assured them of NIRDA’s full support to ensure that acquired equipment benefit the cooperative.
“I assure you of full support as we normally work with industries through our programs such as research and provision of upgraded equipment among other ways,” Kamana said.
He also challenged them to seek Made in Rwanda mark to ensure that their products are trusted and sold not only in Rwanda but across the region and beyond.“This would make your products competitive on the market and attract many clients,” he said, pledging NIRDA support for the cooperative in the process to acquire it.
The cooperative whose eleven members can make products worth Rwf2million per month and hopes the production would increase to more than double once it uses the newly acquired equipment.
It started in 1977 as an association and was accredited as a cooperative in 2012 according to members.
The National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA), is a government institution that has been mandated with a mission to enable a generation of industrial innovators to become competitive through technology monitoring, acquisition, development and transfer & applied research.
Emma-Marie Umurerwa
emma@iribanews.com
