More value for locally made import substitute products – MJ's

No matter how small the item may be, if it has been produced with the aim of substituting imported goods and to cut down on foreign exchange outflow, then it should be given its value on the market.

This is the sincere belief of Mr Michael Jeannevol, the head of a small family who runs a thriving cottage industry, MJ's Producers, at his home at Le Niole.

MJ's Producers, a family business which specialises in the production of a variety of spices and other goods such as icing sugar, spicy salt, flour rice, rice cereal and coating flour, has been in existence for almost 10 years now.

The company was at first producing mainly a variety of masala under the Tropical Masala brand, but has lately expanded its production line to include rice cereal for babies and flour rice, now a popular item among Indians living in Seychelles.

A few months back MJ's launched its Aroma brand of Golden Fry, a spicy flour used to coat meat or fish prior to frying.

Speaking to Business Nation, Mr Jeannevol, said while a number of businesses had given up over the past few years, MJ's, which had already established its clientele, was still committed to finding ways to increase the range of locally manufactured goods on the market.

He however noted that efforts by small manufacturers were dampened by the actions of certain big importers who were still using the limited foreign exchange available to import items that were being produced locally.

Rice flour and icing sugar, he mentioned, were two quality items which MJ's was producing, but were still being imported. MJ's is selling a 500g of icing sugar at wholesale price of R7.00 and retail at R8.25, whereas the prices for rice flour are R7.50 for a kilogram at wholesale and R9.50 at retail.

The prices of imported icing sugar and rice flour are cheaper than MJ's but Mr Jeannevol said that normally the costs of his products were decided by the prices of basic or raw materials, which he said were high on the market. 

At a time when most countries were facing the realities of free trade and open markets, Mr Jeannevol felt that the manufacturing industry in the country lacked the necessary vigour to face competition globally.

The businessman said he would like to see more dialogue between all parties involved in the manufacturing and import sectors, so that they could all help to give the locally made products the value they deserved.

MJ's products are on sale at all outlets on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.

The company has over the past few months invested R75,000 to upgrade the quality of its products, packaging and label.

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