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GREEN Fuel area general manager Mr Graeme Smith, who was at the helm of the Chisumbanje ethanol project management since inception, has stepped down.
The company’s community projects manager, Ms Nicolle Mollet, confirmed that Mr Graeme left but could not divulge more information surrounding new appointments that are understood to have been made.
“Yes, he left but I am not really sure whether I should be the one to comment on that.
“You can send me questions and I will forward them to the relevant office,” she said.
Contacted for comment, Green Fuel public relations officer Ms Lillian Muungani professed ignorance over the issue.
“It has been long since I went to Chisumbanje and I do not know what is going on there at the moment,” she said.
However, it is understood that Mr Smith left the company recently and he has since been replaced by Mr Conrad Rautenbach as the general manager.
It is also understood that there were other new appointments within the rank and file of the company’s management.
Knowledgeable on ethanol production processes, with information at his fingertips, Mr Smith served as the company’s general manager since the inception of the project.
As the area general manager, Mr Smith supervised production of sugar cane under flood, centre pivot and overhead sprinkler irrigation under variable growing conditions.
He participated in the agronomy and operational aspects of cane production as well as mechanised advanced farming systems and mapping of fields.
He ensured that sugar cane production meet quality standards to maximise fermentable sugars delivered to the factory for processing as well as ensuring that anhydrous ethanol is produced to specific standards for the motor fuel industry.
He also had the role of overseeing and approving budgets for all the various departments and presenting a final combined company and group budgets to the board.
A specialist in agriculture production, agronomy, processing and project management, Mr Smith spoke Shona fluently as his second language. — Manica Post.
derick.khumalo