Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
THE US$450,000 Hauna Fruit and Vegetable Processing Plant in Honde Valley is nearing completion and will be ready for commissioning soon, Government has announced.
Special Advisor to the President on Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes and Projects, Dr Joram Gumbo said the facility represents a major shift in Zimbabwe’s rural development strategy.
“This plant is far more significant than the steel and brick before us. It marks a transformative moment, not just for this valley, but for Zimbabwe’s entire rural industrialisation agenda,” he said.
Dr Gumbo said the construction of the facility is a decisive step towards ending post-harvest losses and exploitation of banana farmers who have struggled without nearby markets. The facility has the capacity to process 400 kilogrammes of horticultural produce per hour into high-value products such as banana flour, chips and cooking oil. At least 600 farmers will directly supply the plant, while over 2,000 more, mainly women and youth from Mutasa and Nyanga, will gain access to new income opportunities.
“For too long, smallholder farmers have suffered losses and been vulnerable to middlemen. By converting raw produce into market-ready products, this plant immediately eliminates those historical constraints,” Dr Gumbo said.
Once final installations are complete, the plant will be commissioned for production.
“We are creating the Zimbabwe we want, a nation that delivers, empowers and works for all,” Dr Gumbo said.
Mrs Betty Masvanhise, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement Mutasa district head, said the completion of the plant will be a relief to farmers struggling with the valley’s mountainous terrain.
Mrs Sheila Mtetwa, Ministry of Women Affairs District Development Officer, said the project is a breakthrough for women and youth.
Local farmers expressed optimism.
“We will no longer throw away our bananas. We will now sell to a factory instead of begging middlemen,” said farmer Mrs Mutsa Mutete.
