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Basil Nyabadza

Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
A MULTI-MILLION dollar state-of-the-art tomato processing and canning plant at Esigodini is set for commissioning in July. The tomato processing and canning factory is a public-private partnership arrangement between Zagrinda, a company owned by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda), Development Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ) and beverage manufacturer, Schweppes Zimbabwe.

Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) chairman Basil Nyabadza told Chronicle Business that the commissioning of the plant follows the relocation of the equipment that had been lying idle for over two decades at Arda Balu Estates in Umguza District, Matabeleland North Province.

“About 80 percent of the equipment required for the Esigodini plant has been transferred to Esigodini and we’re looking forward to commissioning the plant in July. Our focus so far is on assembling the plant,” he said.

Zagrinda is owned by Arda and DTZ on a 50-50 basis. The tomato processing and canning project was part of the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo’s industrialisation vision, which he spearheaded through the DTZ. “We’re also in the process of getting new computerised equipment from Italy,” Nyabadza said.

He said in the next few weeks they would roll out a tomato out-growers scheme with farmers in Matabeleland South province. “We’re also engaging farmers in Matabeleland South and we’ll start with people in Esigodini for an outgrowers’ programme because we’ve seen that they’ve the potential to supply tomatoes for the plant,” Nyabadza said.

Arda and its partners also have a similar project in Norton and the plant started operations in February. About $2,2 million was spent to revive the two canning plants. Arda, a State-owned authority, owns 22 estates across the country and some of its household estates include Katiyo Tea Estates. The authority also owns Chisumbanje sugar cane estates in the Eastern Lowveld.