SUGAR producer Tongaat Hulett on Wednesday delivered 1 186 tonnes of maize to Chiredzi Grain Marketing Board (GMB).
BY GARIKAI MAFIRAKUREVA
Lands deputy minister Douglas Karoro, Public Service deputy minister Lovemore Matuke and Minister of State for Masvingo Province, Ezra Chadzamira attended the event.
Tongaat Hulett supply chain executive Wilbert Shumba said the firm injected $3 million, gave expertise and donated 329 hectares of land into the maize production project, while Masvingo Development Trust (MDT), through Command Agriculture, injected $235 000 as well as seed and agro-chemicals.
“As Tongaat, we are happy to have healthy partnership with MDT, which spans five years. We hope to expand the project and make Masvingo a breadbasket of the country. Although Masvingo is known to be in the arid region, it is lucky to be endowed with the largest number of water bodies,” Shumba said.
“If we expand the project and utilise those water bodies, our resources, and human expertise, as Masvingo province, we will be able to feed the nation.”
MDT patron Chadzamira praised the partnership.
“This initiative promotes food and nutrition security in our province. Leveraging on our God-given resources, Masvingo province is ready to transform the livelihoods of its people through fighting drought-induced effects of climate change. The partnership between Tongaat and MDT has subsisted for over five years, which indicates a mutual, beneficial and sustainable relationship,” he said.
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“May this partnership continue and be expanded to make it a year-round programme, which includes soya beans, sugar beans and wheat. Of the 1 186 tonnes realised from this project, each constituency will receive a total of 45 tonnes for its vulnerable members of the community and the remainder will go to institutions housing old people and people with disabilities.”
Karoro, who was the guest of honour, pledged two tractors and two implements to MDT.
