Online Reporter
Diana Nherera
Herald Correspondent
GOVERNMENT interventions in the agricultural sector have made Zimbabwe self-sufficient in wheat production, insulating the country from global supply chain disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions, climate change and market volatility.
Through strategic support mechanisms such as the National Enhanced Agricultural Productivity Scheme (NEAPS) and increased private sector participation, the country has boosted output to record levels.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for Edurate Investments’ new wheat milling plant at Arlington Industrial Park on Wednesday, deputy director in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Mr Elias Muradzvi, said wheat remains a strategic crop for Zimbabwe, especially given its role in producing bread, pasta and other staple foods.
“Over the last three years, Zimbabwe has been increasing its wheat production with a record harvest exceeding 536 000 tonnes last year,” he said.
“This accomplishment ensured self-sufficiency in wheat and is a crucial development given global wheat supply chain disruptions.”
Mr Muradzvi said Zimbabwe is in the final year of implementing the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which seeks to structurally transform the economy through value addition and beneficiation of the country’s agricultural and mineral resources.
“This will enable the country to create more jobs, greater economic opportunities and improve livelihoods.
“The Edurate Investments wheat milling plant comes at an opportune time, as it will boost value addition, turning wheat into flour for the food industry and wheat bran for the stock feed sector.
“We are confident this facility will significantly contribute to the nation’s food security.”
He commended Edurate Investments for demonstrating confidence in Zimbabwe’s economy through the establishment of the state-of-the-art milling plant.
Edurate Investments’ production manager (operations), Mr Tendai Mandigo, said the company already operates a 50-tonne-per-day wheat mill in Marondera, but the new Arlington facility will be much larger, with a capacity of 300 tonnes per day.
“This expansion shows the confidence our management has in the Zimbabwean economy,” Mr Mandigo said.
“Once the Arlington plant is operational, we plan to upgrade the Marondera facility to the same capacity.”
Business head at Edurate Investments, Mr Gautam Pradhan, said the company operates in both wheat milling and stock feed manufacturing, two industries with strong growth prospects.
“So we saw it as a good opportunity to expand the business.
“We saw a lot of potential in both sectors so we are heavily investing,” he said.
