adminThe hardest hit has been the company’s flavoured maheu products while shortages in plastic bottled soft drinks have also been registered.
Retail outlets around the city have been registering low availability in plastic bottled products produced by Delta Beverages especially maheu products, sparking fears of looming shortages during the festive season.
Responding to questions from Business Chronicle, Delta Corporation director of corporate affairs Mr George Mutendadzamera said the current low supplies in flavoured maheu were being caused by challenges experienced by their bottle suppliers in meeting increased demand on the market.
“The current gaps in the market are due to supply side challenges being experienced by our bottle suppliers.
“These challenges have resulted in inadequate supplies of the flavoured maheu product in the market,” said Mr Mutendadzamera.
He, however, assured customers that Delta Beverages had already engaged its suppliers to resolve the situation to ensure resumption of normal supplies on the market.
“We are working with the suppliers of the plastic packaging containers to ensure sufficient and adequate supplies during the festive season.
“Following the significant investment by the company in a bottle manufacturing plant, we anticipate production to double the existing capacity,” he said.
He said plastic products availability would improve at the beginning of next year.
“We will see improvement from January moving to February in 2013. At the moment we will focus on supplying the major flavours in maheu which include traditional, banana and sorghum malt,” he said.
Delta Beverages is currently installing a $8 million polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottling line in Bulawayo to improve supply of sparkling beverages. The new line has a rated capacity of 15 000 bottles per hour in 300 and 500ml volumes.
Online Reporter