March 29, 2018
By Ijendu Iheaka
A manufacturer, Mr Jayendra Dube, on Thursday called on the Federal Government to invest in the production of rubber and cotton to boost local sources of sanitary pad materials.
Dube, who is the Business Development Manager, Trust Pads, Aba, made the call in an interview with our reporter in Aba.
He said improved production of local raw materials would reduce the cost of importing them by local manufacturers from abroad, adding that it would also protect industries and conserve foreign exchange.
Dube said that Nigeria could do better in the production of such products, because it has forest zones that could grow the products and compete with China, Australia and Indonesia favourably.
He said that his company, which has about five per cent market share of the sanitary pad market in Nigeria, had been burdened with sourcing 70 per cent of its raw materials abroad.
The manufacturer noted that if the volume of materials sourced locally increased, his company would be able to produce more sanitary pads at lower rates and compete favourably with imported pad products.
He said that the company, which has 90 per cent Nigerians as employees, has plans to make cheaper pads if it could source 100 per cent of its raw materials locally.
Dube said that the devaluation of naira had affected the cost of production and reduced their gains and threatened their existence.
He also said that irregular power supply had made the company to depend on generators which increased the cost of production.
“Imported products in this area are very many and to compete with them is becoming very difficult for us.
“We urge the Federal Government to help by supporting local raw materials production.
“What is keeping us in business is that we are maintaining the quality of our products, no matter the hardship which has earned us brand loyalty from those buying it,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment