Online Reporter
Sekai Manyere-Herald Correspondent
Certification is key to helping local manufacturers produce quality goods capable of competing in regional and international markets, Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) director-general Mr Cosmus Mukoyi has said.
Speaking at the ISO 22000 certificate handover to Unicorn Agri, Mr Mukoyi said certification assures consumers and markets that quality is being maintained from the sourcing of raw materials to the dispatch of finished products.
“Certification is more than a document. It is a public promise that every process of sourcing, receiving, laying, conditioning, milling, packaging to dispatch is managed with discipline, flexibility and care,” he said.
“You consider standards and quality just before you start your production.”
Mr Mukoyi said adherence to recognised standards was critical for local companies seeking to tap into opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“For us to be able to trade, we need the goods to trade. We do not only need the goods to trade, but we also need to trade quality goods that are acceptable,” he said.
He said harmonised standards would help remove technical trade barriers and enable certified Zimbabwean products to compete in regional and continental markets.
SAZ is committed to working with industry to ensure locally produced goods meet both national and international standards, he said.
“We are pleased that Unicorn Agri is showing commitment to doing the basics exceptionally well,” said Mr Mukoyi.
He said certification to ISO standards gives products international recognition and enhanced confidence among consumers and potential export markets.
Mr Mukoyi encouraged manufacturers to incorporate standards and quality management into their operations from the beginning of the production process rather than treating certification as an end-stage requirement.
Meanwhile, Unicorn Agri group general manager Mr Isaac Muranganwa said the company sources its grain locally, including from small-scale farmers.
He said the company’s expansion would increase demand for locally produced grain while expanding its processing capacity.
“We buy all our grains locally and give equal opportunity to farmers, big or small, starting from the person who delivers two bags of maize to those who supply 500 to 1 000 tonnes,” he said.
Mr Muranganwa said the company plans to increase its milling capacity from the current 10 000 tonnes while expanding into soya processing.
“As we increase our capacity, we are also going to increase moving from maize to soya and all this will be picked up locally,” he said.
The expansion would also enable the company to accommodate grain from smaller farmers who often lack adequate storage facilities, he said.
“The small farmers in this country don’t have the capacity, so we store for them and we give them the funding that they require,” he said.
The certification is expected to strengthen Unicorn Agri’s ability to meet quality requirements while supporting the company’s expansion and increased sourcing of locally produced grain.
