Gweru-based Victoria Foods Milling plant capacity utilisation jumps to 80%
Story by Tafara Chikumira
GWERU-based Victoria Foods Milling plant is now operating at 80 % capacity utilisation on the back of the Second Republic’s ease of doing business and industrial development agenda.
The Milling Plant which was placed under judicial management in 2016 only to resume normal operations in 2021, is taking advantage of the Second Republic’s re-tooling and re-industrialisation thrust.
“We are growing and currently we are in the process of recapitalization. We currently have some stocks of maize coming from GMB. We are also getting some stocks from some local farmers whom we contracted. We are saying we can supply mealie-meal to the southern region and countrywide,” said Victoria Foods Acting General Manager, Ms Rutendo Chidemo.
The government says it will continue supporting entities that promote the country’s food value chain in line with the National Development Strategy 1.
Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Owen Ncube said, “The Midlands province appreciates the role of your company in value addition and beneficiation of primary agricultural products. The government will continue to provide an enabling business operating environment through policies which promote opening of businesses through foreign and direct investment.”
This comes just after the government operationalised the US$22,5 million retooling facility for the industry to increase output in strategic value chains.
The funding is part of the US$80 million set aside from the over US$900 million Special Drawing Rights Zimbabwe received from the International Monetary Fund in 2021.
