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Elton Manguwo
THE Cold Storage Company (CSC)-Boustead Beef has made significant strides towards attaining full capacity utilisation with the just commissioned beef processing giant targeting to replicate yester-year glory with the processing plant at 90 percent.
In an interview yesterday, the company business advisor, Mr Morris Mpala, said staff development was now at very advanced stages with effectiveness and efficiency back at acceptable levels, as the skills transfer programme that was ongoing had resulted in strategic employees understanding the plant with improved skills and confidence.
“Skills transfer has improved, as the more the butchers slaughter the more human capital improve on efficiency and effectiveness on the plant. The staff now has the capacity to handle any processing and after-processing work procedures,” Mr Mpala said.
He further explained that the plant was currently slaughtering randomly on a daily basis as farmers delivered their animals to the abattoir, with an average of 60 animals per day averaging to 280 animals per week which is quite commendable.
“CSC is setting up commercially run feedlots franchises in CSC- Boustead beef feedlots that are already in existence, where farmers bring their cattle for an agreed period to aide in facilitating cattle production whilst ensuring beef quality and quantity and CSC will be the exclusive buyer at competitive prices”, said Mr Mpala.
Zimbabwe’s herd is 90 percent made up of small-scale farmers, which makes smart business practices in the sector crucial, as an accelerator towards achieving a middle-income economy and improving livelihoods. More importantly, it is need for ensuring sustainability and continued production.
Additionally, these developments come at a time the Government is operationalising the livestock recovery growth plan with the short-term target of increasing the country’s herd from the current 5, 5 to 6 million by 2023 to meet national beef demand and curtail imports.
Furthermore, since its resuscitation CSC – Boustead has seen farmers accessing services at affordable rates and this represents the resuscitation of the country’s beef cattle value chain towards full commercialisation with farmers improving their livelihoods too.
The cold rooms are now functional to the convenience of smallholder farmers who prefer to keep their slaughtered animals for longer periods.
The plant currently has two out of five cold rooms with a carrying capacity of 200 carcasses each complemented by 5 chillers that carry 160 carcasses each that are fully functional with the remaining ones expected to be ready by mid-November.
Mr Mpala noted that despite the progress recorded so far, the company continued to face some logistical challenges in importing parts for their Bulawayo plant.
Online Reporter