Story by Gay Matambo
A US$1 million multi-service centre is being established at the Rutenga Industrial Park in Mwenezi District as part of initiatives put in place by the government and development partners to promote rural industrialisation.
The multi-service centre project which is being spearheaded by sustainable agriculture technology, will consist of a Paprika Processing Plant, Sesame Value Addition Centre and a Youth Vocational Skills Training Centre.
Beneficiaries of the project who are mainly smallholder paprika and sesame growers say the establishment of the multi-service centre will go a long way in promoting value addition and beneficiation, employment creation and youth development while creating new business opportunities in export operations.
“The establishment of the MSC will benefit farmers of sesame and paprika to a larger extent because the processing plants add value to the crops. The centre will help curb the massive illegal smuggling of sesame through the country’s borders into Mozambique of which the Agricultural Marketing Authority and the police were battling to address this challenge in the last few years,” said a beneficiary.
“We are excited with the establishment of the Youth Vocational Skills Training Centre at the MSC as it will assist in drug and substance abuse reduction and also create employment for our children,” added another.
“The project has not only improved the standards of living for this community but it is also assisting locals to deal with the adverse effects of climate change since they are now growing drought-tolerant crops that have a ready market,”Chief Chitanga said.
Since the establishment of the Paprika processing plant and the Sesame Value Addition Centre last year, at least 20 tonnes of milled paprika has been produced and sold on the local market while 212 tonnes of Sesame were exported to Japan and Mozambique.
“Just a year and a half ago this was all pure bush. We started off with conservation farming in the Northern part of the country and over the years we ventured into value chains. That’s where we are today,” Sustainable Agriculture Technology Country Director, Mr Bryan Saunders said.
The project dovetails with the government’s agriculture 8.0 drive which promotes rural industrialisation.
“The MSC plays a crucial role in boosting the provinces’ ambitious economic thrust towards achieving a US$8 billion economy by 2030. SAT and its partners are commended for the sterling work they have undertaken in the last two years to put Mwenezi District and Masvingo Province on the map,” Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Ezra Chadzamira said.
The Multi-Service Centre that is being set up in Rutenga follows the establishment of the Marula/Mapfura processing plant and value-addition factory that was established by the government in 2019.
