Having, traded in wheat flour and rice since the 1980’s, METL’s acquisition of a wheat milling unit based in Dar es Salaam in 1998, was a natural investment for the company. At acquisition, the existing plant and machinery were completely dilapidated, and the first task was to rehabilitate and modernise the mill, and to improve the quality of the wheat flour. A year later, in 1999, METL acquired a maize milling plant and four rice milling units were installed in Dar es Salaam and other paddy growing areas of the country. Agro-Processing and Allied Products Ltd (AP&APL) now has, both for home use and commercial baking, a full range of wheat flours, maize flours and rice and its products are well established in the market for their quality and consistency. To supplement its wheat milling capacity, AP&APL has also leased a large government-owned mill, which it is planning to acquire under the government’s privatisation programme.