Chronicle Editor
Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
GWERU milling company, DCK Investments, who last year opened a new milling plant is set to double its mealie-meal production to 500 tonnes a day and approximately 15 000 tonnes monthly as it continues to buttress Government’s drive to provide affordable and cheap roller-meal in the country.
The company is producing 200 tonnes per day and has procured equipment that will see it producing 500 tonnes per day which translates to 15 000 tonnes per month. DCK Investments made headlines when it proved that it was possible to produce quality bread with 100 percent locally-grown wheat, a development that is expected to cut on the wheat import bill.
Company director Mr Douglas Kwande said they had imported milling machines that would be installed at one of his properties in Gweru.
“We are in the process of increasing our milling capacity by another 300 tonnes per day. At the moment we are producing 200 tonnes per day. We have procured a new milling machine that will be installed in Gweru. Once the installation of the new machine is done, we will be able to produce 500 tonnes per day. So our target is to produce about 15 000 tonnes a month and be able to meet the mealie-meal demand for the southern part of the country. Millers are so far providing close to 40 000 tonnes per month nationally that is subsidised by Government,” he said.
DCK Investments, a wholly owned Zimbabwean company, is also into animal husbandry and has more than 2 000 beef cattle its farm where it grows wheat for local bread production. DCK has a staff complement of more than 500 employees.
The company is also looking to boost its bread output to 230 000 loaves per day after investing in more bakery assets.
The company will soon commission more bakeries and plants in Bulawayo, Masvingo and Chitungwiza.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter