adminFUEL retailing firm Trek Petroleum says its new focus in agriculture was a realisation that the fuel market was now saturated hence the need to diversify operations.
General manager Mr Onias Sanangura said the company which runs 22 retail outlets nationwide had reached its maximum in the petroleum market hence the decision to invest in the agriculture sector which has proven to have better yields.
Mr Sanangura said Trek Petroleum’s first investment in agriculture was last year in November in partnership with the Cold Storage Company which has seen them acquiring 1 700 head of cattle at Maphaneni Ranch in Kezi, Matabeleland South.
He said Brahman bulls were imported from Namibia to improve the quality of the breed and boost the herd.
“For us to continue growing as a company, we realised that it is important to diversify from the petroleum market and try something new. We responded to an advert in the newspaper where CSC was seeking a partner and met all the requirements. Our investment was about $800 000,” said Mr Mr Sanangura.
He said the company also decided to partner with Arda at two of their estates namely Antelope in Maphisa and Ngwizi in Mangwe where they invested more than $2 million in equipment and machinery.
“All our partnerships with these government departments are for a duration of five years and agriculture has proven to have better yields. The winter wheat crop is doing really well and in summer we will have soya bean and maize crop,” he said.
Mr Sanangura said they were in the process of partnering Arda at the Doreen Spride estate in Kadoma where they will import 3 000 heifers from Namibia.
“We will import 300 head per month for the coming 10 months for the estate in Kadoma as we expand our investments in cattle,” he said.
Mr Sanangura encouraged the private sector to partner the Government in turning around the country’s economic fortunes.
Online Reporter