adminProsper Ndlovu Business Editor
RURAL communities should take a leaf from Matshetsheni villagers in rural Gwanda who have set up a $100,000 food processing centre that employs about 247 people.Matshetshe Food Processing boasts of huge success since its establishment in 2011 and is participating at the on-going Zimbabwe International Trade Fair that began in Bulawayo yesterday.
Theirs is an inspiring story of a united community under Chief Mbiko Masuku, which has decided to empower itself by value adding and beneficiation of locally produced agricultural products.
Located at Nkwidze Business Centre, the little known food processing centre manufactures a range of products such as sorghum meal, peanut butter, marmalade jam, dried vegetables, samp, kapenta, indigenous fruit juices and popcorn.
The firm also does packaging for its products that also include okra, cow peas, dried groundnuts and chomoulier.
“We’re a cooperative of village farmers in Matshetsheni area of Gwanda. We’ve 247 members, 104 men and 140 women including the youth,” project marketing officer Charity Ndlovu said.
“We started in 2011 with garden projects and later ventured into processing to widen our market. We process all agricultural produce such as vegetables, meat and fruits.”
Ndlovu said starting the project was not easy as members struggled to make contributions until Dabane Trust, a local non-governmental organisation, bailed them out with seed capital to acquire equipment and some inputs.
“We sell our produce to local retail shops, schools and the community. We want to expand our market to Bulawayo and beyond and that’s why we’re here,” he said.
“We want our products to be recognised globally. We appreciate the need for us to contribute to the economy and assist the government.”
Ndlovu said the cooperative has created a market for farmers and enhanced a production chain locally.
While he could not be drawn to disclose the income per month, he said members shared the proceeds annually on an equal share basis.
“We started from zero but all I can say now is that our cooperative is worth more than $100, 000,” he said.
Value addition and beneficiation are at the heart of the government’s economic blue-print, Zim-Asset.
Online Reporter