Judith Phiri [email protected]
THE Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Dr Anxious Masuka has commended Mutapa Investment Fund’s resuscitation efforts at the Cold Storage Company (CSC), with US$9.3 million channelled to date towards extensive refurbishment programme, upgrading processing facilities and cold storage infrastructure to improve operational efficiency and increase production.
Speaking after touring the facility on Wednesday, the Minister said efforts were well on course to restore the previous slaughtering capacity at the facility.
“Today we are touring CSC here in Bulawayo where they are resuscitating their biggest abattoir to a processing capacity of at least 800 beasts a day. The established capacity now is 320 although they are slaughtering about 150 a day.
“So they are well on their way to ensuring that this capacity is rebuilt and we thank Mutapa Investment Fund for having provided the US$9.3 million loan that has enabled them to get this stage,” he said.
“Certainly they are looking for working capital support of US$10 million in 2027 and that’s forthcoming and with the linkages that are provided by the Mutapa Group, I’m sure we are able to resuscitate this.”
He said the resuscitation was timely because of the expected below normal rainfall for the 2026/27 season, while the Matabeleland region, Masvingo, Midlands will be under stress and many farmers will want to manage sell their cattle.
“Our advice is we must bring them through the CSC facilities. They are also resuscitating the 180,000 hectare ranches and the Willsgrove fattening plot for 5 000 cattle is also up and running. So we want CSC to play a very vital role in ensuring that they provide a critical market for farmers, especially the communal farmers.
“Going forward, my expectation is that this resuscitation can be accelerated, the synergies that have been built can be consolidated so that CSC cannot only get back to the old CSC but will be brighter, better with more markets in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere,” he added.
Minister Dr Masuka said they also have a small stock line which focuses on goats, and sheep, while he hopes that one day they will also be to do poultry.
He commended the cold chain facilities, stating that they can be utilised for any other agricultural commodity requiring cold chain facilities.
The visit comes as CSC has doubled its daily cattle slaughter capacity over the past six months following funding from the Mutapa Investment Fund, as the state-owned meat processor steps up efforts to revive operations and reclaim its position in Zimbabwe’s beef industry.
