"The processing of chili seeds, a sector that has so far remained overlooked, has the potential to become an actual industry," says Tunisian producer Hamza Khefifi, CEO of Grainella. According to him, the supply, need, and demand are there, and the sector is promising.
Khefifi explains, "Tunisia is a major producer and consumer of chilies. Most of the production is processed into chili paste, known locally as "harissa", which is present on every table. In the process, large quantities of seeds and residues are lost and exit the value chain. Our business consists of reclaiming these seeds and residues, cleaning them, and supplying them as is, or milled according to customer requirements".
"These seeds can be used in many forms and for many purposes", continues Khefifi, "they can, for example, be used for oil extraction, which is comparable to the oil extracted from prickly pear or Argan. They can also be used in textiles, as I've seen in Italy, or livestock feed."
Supply is in fairly large quantities, says Khefifi, "we contacted chili paste factories who were very enthusiastic about our approach. We're comforted by the fact that we won't have any supply problems and that food industries are willing to work with us. Our supply capacity can even reach 500 tonnes as soon as next year if demand picks up".
"We are currently in the process of developing our customer base and seeking new customers from North Africa and Europe. We already went to meet potential industrialists and customers in Tunisia and Europe, and we believe that our product has its place on the market," argues Khefifi.
He concludes, "Before launching the company, our project was well welcomed and rewarded in startup competitions in Portugal and the United States, where the juries challenged every aspect of the project and were convinced of its real success potential".
