COAST REGION, June 3 -- GOODWILL Tanzania Company is expanding into paper manufacturing using cassava as a key raw material—a shift analysts say could commercialise the crop on an unprecedented scale and transform rural economies.

The company, which manufactures tiles in Mkuranga District, Coast Region, plans to build a new paper plant that will consume up to 50,000 tonnes of cassava annually.

The 110 million US dollars (297bn/-) investment is expected to create over 1,000 direct jobs, with production slated to begin by April or May next year. Dr Hildebrand Shayo, an economist-cum-investment banker, said the factory holds considerable economic significance by creating industrial demand for cassava.

“This initiative aims to ...