Ahmet Eltigani: “El Hamama is developing a number of ambitious realistic plans, expected to be see the light soon in the near future. In other words, El Hamama is carving a complete new vision, in order to earn being a landmark in the history of the industry in Sudan.” El-Hamama Flour Mill is one of the most important mills of Sudan. Drawing attention with the technology investments especially since 2012, the company is determined to maintain its investment rush. Preferring two important Turkish technology producers in its prior technology investments, the company prepares to be the largest company in Sudan’s flour milling industry with the new investments planned. Saying, “As El Hamama, we are developing a number of ambitious realistic plans.”; CEO of El-Hamama Flour Mills Ahmet Eltigani A. Moniem Musa answered our questions on Sudan milling industry and their new investment plans. Dear ELTIGANI, your company ELHAMAMA GROUP is one of the leading flour mills of Sudan. Firstly, could you give some information on your company and how you have come to today? First of all I would like to thank you very much for this opportunity. The wheat flour business is a family inheritance; we have split and established new ideas of large capacities of the latest technology and we have taken over from where others stopped. We started with 360 tons mill from Ugur and started the commercial production in April 2012 and before the test- running of Ugur project we signed a contract witch Alapala for 750 tons and by the end of the year 2013 this project entered the market. What can you say about your product variety and the position of your company in Sudan market? Which properties of your company distinguish you from your rivals in your country? We produce several type of flour in different packing sizes for different purposes such as bread, pasta and biscuit. Both projects have their own contribution in the distinction of the group in the field. Could you give information on your facility, capacity and technologies you used? What can you say about the level of your company in capacity and technology usage? We do have existing capacity of 1110 tons of wheat per day in two lines both from Turkey, the first one started the production 2012 with capacity 360 tons per day fully automatic from Ugur making; we have installed the latest technology the second line started at the end of 2013 from Alapala with 750 tons capacity full automatic project from A to Z. Are there any other fields you give service besides flour production? If there are other fields you working on or other products, could you give information also about them? In the near future we are going to realize El Hamama industrial compound; we wish to realize the production of starch based nutrition products. Our researches and activities on this subject still continue. Are you working only for the Sudan market in the flour milling industry? Are there any export activities or do you have any goals for export? In fact the flour milling industry in Sudan is restricted and bound by a government rolls which prohibit the export of flour. As ELHAMAMA GROUP, what is your future goal for the investment and market objective? We have signed a contract of two big projects of 800 tons located in Port Sudan each from a Turkish producer and it’s going to run within next year which is going to put us in the first position of the wheat flour producers in the country. Could you give some information also on the flour industry in your country? How many mills are there in your country conjecturally? What is the position of these mills in terms of using milling technologies? There are less than 30 mills in Sudan most of them are very old technology with low capacity and only the leading four or five companies are enjoying sophisticated technology and produce good quality. We expect 5000 ton-capacity next year which will make us the largest flour producer in the country. What can you say about the annual flour amount, flour quality and consumption of your country? Sorghum seems to be the mostly consumed grain product in Sudan. Is there any increase in the consumption of wheat flour? Actually sorghum was the mainly consumed grain but in the last years the wheat consumption has been growing very fast due to many reasons such as mainly stable cost of bread and high cost of sorghum due to unstable production of the grain. Sudanese consume 2.4 million tons of wheat annually imported form different countries like Australia, Russia and Canada. What do you think about the future development of your country especially in terms of flour industry? Elhamama is developing a number of ambitious realistic plans, expected to be see the light soon in the near future, all aiming at living up to the highest international standards, concerning milling industries and extending to cover other related industries. These plans include all the following: • Establishing a 1,600 tons/d mill at the main port, in Port Sudan city. • Establishing an integrated industrial compound for starch – based nutritional industries such as biscuits, pasta, and Noodles etc. • Establishing a factory for animal feeds, thus serving the growing market of animal products in Sudan. In general, El-Hamama is carving a complete new vision, in order to earn being a landmark in the history of industry in Sudan.