TZW
Apart from administering farming and trading, including exportation of cloves, ZSTC is the leading producer of essential oils in Tanzania. It produces different varieties of oil, including Zanstem, Zancinn, Zanbasin, Zangrass Zancit and Zancam.
All of them are derived from clove buds and eucalyptus plant. Speaking to TSN reporters in Isles in an exclusive interview, the ZSTC Managing Director, Dr Said Seif Mzee, said the firm has established an oil distillery in Pemba According to Dr Mzee, before 2016, the plant was incurring loss amounting to 310m/- every year due to frequent breakdowns.
He said while the plant had the capacity to produce 100 tonnes of oil per annum it was producing less than 40 tonnes. “When I took over the rein at ZSTC in 2016, we threw our weight into working on the problems facing the plant and today I am glad to report that we have made considerable advances, reflected in the generation of profits,” he said.
He revealed over the past six months ZSTC recorded profit amounting to 100m/- from the sales of its essential oils, adding that more plans were being laid out to produce a large quantity of oil for local and international markets.
He explained that ZSTC had purchased 230 hectares of land for producing raw materials for feeding its plant. However, he said currently the Corporation cultivates only 50 hectares as the remaining land is dry, entailing charting of irrigation plans.
Dr Mzee pointed out that although the oils had won the hearts of customers in Asian nations like China, India and Indonesia, Britain and the US, Chinese people were the biggest consumers. “The demand of the oils in China is higher than our supply capacity,” he said, adding: “Previously, Britain was our potential buyer.
When I was appointed head of ZSTC in 2016, I found a huge stock of oils that had not sold, in the wake of ZSTC and Britain failing to reach a common ground on the price. In a real sense, we were losing. Later on we found the market in China where the demand today is higher than our supply capacity,” Dr Mzee explained.
Essential oils produced in Zanzibar are used as bug repellent and immunity boosters. They are also used to fight fatigue, facilitate memory retention and ease headaches. They also relieve joint pain, nausea and sinus pressure