Online Reporter
VICE President Dr Constantino Chiwenga is today expected to tour National Foods Limited in Bulawayo as part of his familiarisation tour of key economic projects in the Matabeleland. Region.
Over the past three days, the Vice President has visited several projects in Matabeleland North to get an appreciation of their operations.
Zimpapers Business Hub senior reporter, Nqobile Bhebhe and Chief Photographer are at the tour and will give us live updates.
VP Chiwenga arrives for National Foods tour
VICE President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has arrived at the diversified agro-industrial concern National Foods Limited (NFL) wheat milling plant in Bulawayo.
The Vice President is accompanied by Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube and National Foods Group Chief Executive Officer Mike Lashbrook and several staff members.
National Foods has invested millions in setting up state-of-the-art processing plants to replace old mills and ramp up production in the country.
For instance it installed a state-of-the-art US$6.5 million Buhler wheat milling plant in Bulawayo, an investment that took the company about two years to finalise.
Commissioned on 1 July 2023, the new mill has a capacity of 300 metric tonnes a day, representing a 25 percent increase in throughput compared to the previous 240 tonnes a day.
An additional US$2.1 million was invested in finished product packing and handling facilities, bringing the total Bulawayo Investment to US$8.6 million.
Since 2022, the company has invested about US$30 million into hi-tech plants, replacing the 72-year-old mill to ramp up production by more than 2,000 tonnes, and other plants in Harare.
The company produces human and livestock feed that has become part of every Zimbabwean household throughout the century.
National Foods operates two wheat mills, one in Harare and one in Bulawayo.
The previous Bulawayo mill, a Simon model originally manufactured in 1950 and installed second-hand in 1982, had operated reliably for over four decades, milling over 1.5 million metric tonnes of wheat before its decommissioning.
Over time, the ageing plant began to show signs of stress fatigue in several critical components.
Continued operation increased the risk of breakdowns that could have disrupted supply, threatened jobs and resulted in bread shortages in the southern region of the country.
A key highlight of the investment is that the new mill was installed around an existing operating platform, allowing the firm to maintain production without any downtime throughout the installation process, a first for a project of this scale within its borders.
VP Chiwenga urges National Foods to tap into export markets
Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has challenged National Foods Limited (NFL) to expand into foreign markets, deepen its domestic footprint, and invest in research and innovation to enhance product quality and competitiveness.
Speaking during a media briefing after a closed-door meeting with National Foods management in Bulawayo today, Dr Chiwenga described the company as a strategic player in Zimbabwe’s food value chain, saying Government remained committed to supporting the sector through policies that foster a conducive business environment.
“The milling plant with worldwide technology presents what can be achieved as private sector investment aligns with national development,” he said.
Dr Chiwenga underscored the importance of local industry taking the lead in technological advancement and scientific collaboration to improve productivity and food self-sufficiency.
“I call upon National Foods Holdings to take a leading role not only as a processor, but as a partner in innovation,” he said.
“I urge the company to actively fund and collaborate with our national research institutions, such as the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre (SIRDC), to explore viable alternatives and solutions.”
He further encouraged investment in research aimed at enhancing the quality and yield of Zimbabwean wheat.
“Together, let us invest in research that enhances the quality and yield of Zimbabwean wheat, enabling it to have adequate gluten properties and protein content, making it suitable for bread without the need for blending with foreign varieties,” said Dr Chiwenga.
