Council to partner Nestle

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“We are discussing with Nestle Zimbabwe to enter into dairy farming at the city farms,” he said.
Mr Masunda said the farming project would help clean up the image of Nestle following its run in with authorities after it refused to buy milk from Gushungo Dairy.
“We will turn the agrarian reform on to the doorstep of Harare. Our residents will have an opportunity of learning how to rear cattle,” he said.

Nestle Zimbabwe executive director Mr Farai Munetsi confirmed the deal saying the venture will be operational before year end.
The company has set up a US$14 million revolving fund for the Nestle Dairy Empowerment Scheme that will see the company import 8 000 dairy cows in the next four years.

“The partnership with the City of Harare will fall under the commercial dairy empowerment scheme and our agricultural services team has visited the council farms and are finalising the carrying capacity and infrastructural requirements for dairying,” he said.
Mr Munetsi said Zimbabwe’s milk production was lower than demand adding the joint venture deal was aimed at closing that gap.

Deals with other partners have failed in the past. In 2007 the city partnered with the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority to grow maize and small grains at the Hillside Nursery but the deal flopped.

In the same year the city entered into another deal with Premier Banking Corporation to fund the commercialisation of city farms. The deal again failed.
The city also entered into another deal with the University of Zimbabwe that was aimed at increasing livestock at the city farms.

Meanwhile, the city intends to increase its beef herd to 13 000 from the present 5 000 in addition to the dairy project that will have 500 dairy cows producing between 150 000 to 200 000 litres of milk per month.