Company
History
Jakana Foods: the idea evolved
out of my masters thesis (“the US : doing business with
selected East African Nations” Oral Roberts Graduate
school of business, Tulsa Oklahoma 1979). Previously I had
spent 3 years working in a food processing establishment while
attending the University of Texas at El Paso for my undergraduate
degree. The problem: major western companies sourced raw materials
from Africa, then turned around and sold the end finished
goods back to Africa . In 1994 Jakana Foods came into being:
to process and package fruit juice without additives or preservatives
while adding value and creating jobs. I envisioned the finished
juice products finding markets both in Uganda, the regional
surrounding countries and eventually abroad. Note: ( Uganda
is the number one fruit producing nation in Africa , 10th
in the world by tonnage: 2001 the new book of world ranking).
Construction of the plant building started in 1995 while
limited production had already started earlier in my mom’s
kitchen at an adjacent house to the plant site. Armed with
regular kitchen appliances (blender, fruit juicer, kettle,
kitchen aid food mixer & processor) and 100 returnable
glass juice bottles Jakana foods was in production. The main
target juice is: banana (from the Kainja/Musa specie grown
mainly in Southern Uganda and the neighboring countries. Numerous
attempts had been tried to package this juice in its natural
form with a shelf life, but most had proved unsuccessful.
I spent the next few years between the US. working while raising
funds and Uganda building the plant and developing the juice
business. The business grew and more packaging materials was
shipped in to support operations. In 1998 we moved into the
semi finished plant building as we had outgrown my mom’s
kitchen. At this point my staff included 2 production assistants,
myself, a director (mom), a salesman, and a security guard.
I visited various financial establishments seeking funding
to complete the plant and acquire modern equipment but non
were forth coming. I will never forget a banker who informed
me that the British ruled Uganda close to 100 years if juice
processing had been viable they would have done it way back
then. The more nos I received the more determined I became,
after all I was aware of the overseas demand for natural juice
products. I knew with proper management and or partnerships
Uganda would serve as a test market, consequently regional
and overseas markets could be within reach. The construction
of the plant facility continued while production kept on pace
with demand. In order to increase our volumes we did secure
funding from the US. govt (Africa Development Foundation)
for the purchase of modern processing and packaging equipment.
This exercise was completed in December 2004
Present:
Jakana Foods is a limited liability company established in
1994. It has grown over the past ten years from a small 2
individual operation serving a few shops to a mid size enterprise
serving several hundred accounts to include: supermarkets,
shops, restaurants, hospitals, bars etc. Our products are
also consumed in the neighboring countries ie. Kenya and Rwanda
a few items do make it to the UK and the US . Our operations
are centered around Kampala, Uganda's capital. We currently
employ over 40 people.
Production:
The plant is well equipped with modern processing and packaging
equipment and has a capacity to produce up to 1,100 liters
per 8 hr shift. The fact that they are no notable fruit processing
plants in the country sometimes limits produce availability
especially in the off season period. To produce large volumes
in peak fruit season without a ready market can greatly tie
up badly needed working capital. This can be rectified if
the local farmers are assured of the purchase of they produce
all year round and the demand for juice steadily picks up.
Banana juice continues to be our number one product, simply
because the specie of banana used to produce the juice only
grows in southern Uganda where our plant is located and the
juice is a favorite of many locals also to include African
immigrants living overseas.
All source products are readily available in the country
but they are periods when shortages in the supply of the source
fruits occur. Namely with oranges, pineapple and passion fruit.
When fruits are delivered to our plant they are carefully
sorted, cleaned and tested for pH and brix levels, incidentally
this is done through out each production level. Upon processing
we crash or extract our juice directly from the fruits delivered
to our plant meaning our juice is from single strength (not
concentrate). The peelings and screened pulp are further processed
into: cookies, cakes, fruit popsicles and or animal feed.
All our juice products are pasteurized. The majority of the
juice products are vacuum packed in stand up doy-pack pouches
and have a shelf life of up to 12 months. The rest is packed
in plastic bottles and have to be refrigerated they have a
shelf life of up to 14 days.
Marketing:
The market in Uganda has been a struggle but is promising.
The name JAKANA “all natural” fruit juice is synonymous
with fruit juice here especially among the well to do this
includes the upper income class, some of the working class
and the expatriate community. The rest of the local population
is not in tune with the consumption of processed packaged
fruit juice. Those who understand the concept have always
consumed imported juices and are sometimes curious of a locally
processed fruit juice with the quality of packaging we use,
(“Is it foreign and repackaged here?” They often
ask). But we are getting converts. As indicated earlier our
best seller is banana juice since we are the only processor
and manufacturer of this product. Incidentally it doesn’t
have any foreign competition here.
The sensitizing of the population has been paramount and
is a costly exercise especially when the consumption of any
drink in this part of the world is to satisfy ones thirst.
Thus the consumption of soda water and other flavored colored
sugar drinks is more popular. At any time folks here can always
secure fruits from the local market vendor or gardens and
consume it. But with the rapid urbanization taking place this
is changing. We are now stressing nutritional values. I must
admit, it’s a long and winding road especially when
the average African most of his/her adult life has consumed
cheap flavored imported drinks which are available in bigger
volumes than our natural fruit juice. Still prevailing in
this part of the world, is the colonial mentality: folks prefer
imports as the foreign firms are able to conduct big publicity
in the media and often using known foreign stars in their
ads. This has been hard to counter with our limited budget.
Other items marketed under the Jakana name are ice popsicles;
these have proved very popular among the young generation.
Our only limitation has been luck of refrigeration facilities
to produce Africa ’s growing appetite for this item.
Using means that are available to us ie. T-shirts, caps,
posters, radios, samples, stickers and door to door selling
we are pushing along. Our major goal is to target the young
generation especially in schools in order to effect a cultural
change.
Way forward.
We at Jakana Foods are confident of the future demand for
natural fruit juice in Africa and the more current and immediate
one in the advanced markets of Europe and North America .
Our biggest challenge is to perfect our products through the
local market here in Uganda. With quality products and sensitization
of the local market the regional market will fall into place.
Once volumes are achieved, even the foreign markets can be
accessed. In order to do this we need a more knowledgeable
partner with vast experience In the processing and marketing
of fruit juice to join this endeavor.
Dan Jakana
Chief Executive Officer.
July 19, 2005
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