Industrial development

Industrial base of Ruvuma region is very small. Very little is contributed by this sector to the region's economy. What exist are smallscale industrial establishments scattered in the region.

MANUFACTURING :  

The Region has three medium Industries namely the tobacco-processing factory, cashewnuts processing factory and coffee processing factory. The cashewnut factory is not operating as its not yet completed. These two functioning factories are owned by the following: The tobacco Processing factory is owned by the Co-operative Society known as Songea and Namtumbo Agricultural and Marketing Co-operative Union (SONAMCU) with a capacity of 22,000 tons per annum where coffee is processed by Mbinga coffee processing factory, with a capacity utilization of 25,000 tons per annum.

The Industrial sector in the Region is faced with various setbacks, which hinder the advancement of the existing Industries, and the establishment of new Industries, These problems includes.

•  Poor infrastructure such as roads to carter for raw material transportation.

•  Unreliable power and water supply

•  Low entrepreneurship ability among the people.

•  Lack of credit facilities.