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THE Masvingo provincial leadership has earmarked nearly 60,000 hectares for cattle ranching by indigenous farmers in the Lowveld in a bid to resuscitate the mothballed Cold Storage Company (CSC) plant in Masvingo city.
The CSC plant in Masvingo city has been idle for the past decade owing to a dip in cattle production in the province, leaving hundreds of workers jobless.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Shuvai Mahofa at the weekend revealed that plans were at an advanced stage to allocate more than 200 model A2 indigenous cattle producers farms in Mwenezi and Chiredzi to venture into cattle production.
Senator Mahofa said revival of the closed CSC plant in Masvingo city was part of the government’s plans to stimulate economic growth in the province in line with Zim-Asset.
“We want to ensure that the CSC plant in Masvingo industrial area is re-opened so that we can create employment to boost the economy of the province through employment creation,’’ she said.
She said the CSC plant used to get cattle supplies from white commercial farmers across the province, most of whom had lost land under the land reform programme.
Senator Mahofa said indigenous farmers were supposed to fill the void by entering into the lucrative beef producing industry.
“The government will assist the new cattle farmers with heifers for breeding purposes. It’s our hope that once the CSC plant is up and running, the economic fortunes of the province will change for the better,’’ added Senator Mahofa.
The CSC plant used to be one of the biggest beef processors in Zimbabwe with about 400 beasts slaughtered daily at the peak of its operations.
The CSC is failing to revive its plants across the country mainly due to capital constraints.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter