Benguela — The Alassola textile factory, located in the city of Benguela, country’s centre-west, will produce 500,000 face masks per month, as part of the programme to prevent the spread of the covid-19 pandemic in the country.
According to the company’s technical director, Hioshi Yamamoto, speaking to the press, Alassola factory has already produced 3,500 masks and plans to speed up production in upcoming days. He went on to explain that the company has used the material they had in stock for the production of sheets, now being used in the production of the masks. “We have 110 machines and if the demand is very high we can increase production and with the nominal capacity assembled we can reach one million masks/month”, disclosed the source. He stated that the tissue used has the specific technical characteristics recommended by WHO and was approved by the Ministry of Health.
“The fabric has a density of 170 to 180 threads per inch, which can vary from 200 to 250 grams per square meter,” he said. According to Hioshi Yamamoto, the mask manufactured at Alassola has the advantage of being produced with 100% cotton tissue, that is, it is ecological and natural, not causing an itchy nose. Meanwhile, the chairman of the board of directors of Alassola in Benguela, Tambwe Mucaz, said that the company is engaged in the fight against the coronavirus, through the production of this bio-safety equipment.
He explained that the success of this textile industry depends on two factors that are the raw material (cotton – which represents 55% of the cost of the final product) and electricity, as it still works on the basis of a generator set, which should be corrected. In this initial stage of the masks production process, Alassola has the assistance of 15 young people. In full operation, the factory will need 1,200 employees and more than 11,000 tonnes of cotton per year to produce, among others, household items such as face towels, blankets, embroidery and sheets. The Alassola factory is a 100% Angolan company, operating in the province of Benguela. It is the successor to the extinct África Têxtil, paralyzed in 1998, having declared bankruptcy in 2000.
