As Zimbabwe grapples with recurring droughts, floods and post-harvest losses, Chatukuta Dried Foods is helping rural communities transform agricultural challenges into economic opportunities through climate-smart food processing and technology.
Founded in 2017 by Kuziva Chatukuta and Shingairai Nyoni, the company has weathered economic instability and the Covid-19 pandemic by focusing on innovation, resilience and partnerships with farmers.
"We have stood the test of time through resilience, innovation and hard work. We survived covid-19 and other economic challenges because of discipline and consistency," said Chatukuta.
The company works with 12 farmer clusters, each comprising about 40 active members, providing training, market access, product grading, packaging and branding.
"We are working with local farmers, NGOs, cooperatives, institutions of higher learning and private investors to develop quality training programmes and sustainable partnerships," he said.
Beyond processing dried fruits and vegetables, the company aims to reduce post-harvest losses while creating sustainable livelihoods.
The impact is already visible.
Women farmers trained through the programme have participated in exchange visits to Malawi and Kenya to learn about mango processing and Integrated Pest Management (IPM), while others have used proceeds from fruit processing to educate their children up to university level.
Many participating farmers have also established Internal Savings and Lending Schemes (ISALs), enabling them to buy seed and fertiliser ahead of each farming season using income from dried fruit and vegetable sales.
Through continuous research, Chatukuta Dried Foods has developed one of Zimbabwe's largest solar drying systems, capable of processing 1.5 tonnes of fresh produce per cycle, with plans to increase capacity to four tonnes every three days.
Although the company's name is rarely seen on retail shelves, its products reach consumers across Zimbabwe through bulk supplies to gyms, churches, retailers and other businesses.
"You may not see the Chatukuta brand on the packet, but you've probably consumed our products. We focus on producing high-quality dried fruits, vegetables and meat for different markets," Chatukuta said.
The company has also trained emerging entrepreneurs in Bulawayo, Chiredzi, Mutare, Mutoko and other parts of the country.
Its innovation division manufactures climate-smart greenhouses and advanced solar dryers integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor technology.
"Our latest dryers communicate environmental data such as humidity, wind speed, wind direction and temperature, giving farmers real-time information to improve processing and production," Chatukuta explained.
Despite the progress, he said limited access to finance remains the biggest obstacle to expansion.
"Establishing a fully-fledged food processing plant requires at least US$150 000. Innovation needs meaningful financial support if it is to transform communities," he said.