Zimpapers Logo

Sukulwenkosi Dube, Plumtree Correspondent
THE Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) has allocated $9 million towards the establishment of tomato processing plants in Esigodini and Norton through a partnership with Schweppes Limited.

The project will see the rural development authority putting into use a multi-million dollar tomato processing equipment that has been lying idle for several years.

Arda board chairman Basil Nyabadza said 80 percent of the equipment, which had been stored at Arda Balu in Umguza, had been transferred to Esigodini for assembling while the plant in Norton became operational in December last year.

Nyabadza said the rest of the equipment would soon be transferred to Esigodini.

“The equipment has been lying idle for several years in Balu (Umguza) and Norton. The equipment at Umguza was supposed to have been moved to Esigodini several years back as it was being kept in Umguza only for storage purposes,” said Nyabadza.

“We’ve managed to partner with Schweppes Limited and the total budget to get the two plants underway is $9 million. This money covers assembling of the machinery, establishment of tomato nurseries at the two plants and costs for hiring staff to get the project up and running.”

He said the tomato crop was expected at the Norton plant end of May to start processing while the Esigodini plant was expected to receive its first crop in June.

Nyabadza said the rural development authority would contract A1 and A2 farmers from areas near the two plants to supply tomatoes. He said each project would require a supply of at least 100 tonnes of tomatoes a day.

Nyabadza said the produce from the two processing plants would be exported to Namibia where there is a high demand for processed tomatoes under the fishing industry.

He said the two processing plants would not be confined only to tomatoes but would also include processing of guavas, mangoes, lemons and oranges.

“We’ve already started processing mangoes and guavas at the Norton plant. Once the two projects are in full swing we’ll establish nurseries for other fruits that we’ll be processing,” he said.

The government recently announced that all agricultural equipment, which was lying idle throughout the country, would be put into use as part of efforts to ensure food security.

A team of Italian engineers was last year contracted to rehabilitate the multi-million dollar tomato processing plant in Norton and Balu Estates.

The equipment was acquired through the initiative of the late Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo and the Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ).

“I’m pleased to announce that Joshua Nkomo’s industrialisation vision, his empowerment vision, is coming to fruition because we’re finally putting the equipment into use,” said Nyabadza.

DTZ is a national independent trust whose main thrust is to foster development at national level.

The machinery includes electric motors, storage tanks, piping material, steamers, mixers and various farming implements like tractors, harvesters and sorting machines.