GRAIN Marketing Board (GMB) general manager Albert Mandizha says the parastatal is working on rebranding its Silo products as it strives to regain lost market share.
Report by Nqobile Bhebhe
Through its commercial unit, GMB produces rice, mealie meal, salt and various other products.
Speaking at the commissioning of a $500 000 milling plant at the GMB deport in Bulawayo on Tuesday, Mandizha said the move was part of a commercialisation drive meant to improve “operational efficiency and efficacy and competition against other industry players”.
“We have a strong resilient brand (Silo) which is capable of standing its own in the market,” he said.
“We are in the process of giving the brand a new look and feel. We will be rolling out new communication in the next few months.” Mandizha said this was meant to establish Silo as the new market leader.
“GMB will be the second largest miller by December 2013. Our strategic vision is to be the largest miller through 2015,” he added. GMB plans to commission five milling plants aimed at achieving internal production capacity of 10 000 metric tonnes per month by 2014.
The first plant was launched in Harare last December. Officals said the current total monthly maize meal production composed of 36% internal production and 64% subcontracted capacity through toll milling arrangement was “unsustainable in the long run and production capacity ratio must be vice versa”.
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Mandizha said the $1 million tender to supply the two milling plants was won by a local firm Hydraulic Equipment and Engineering. He said the milling plant would enhance productivity and increase product availability on the market.
GMB’s current milling capacity stands at 5 000 metric tonnes per month and the new plant will add 1 500 metric tonnes.
On job creation, the Bulawayo plant is said to have absorbed an additional 35 people.
