US$6m margarine plant 95pc complete

WILLOWTON Group Zimbabwe’s US$6 million new margarine plant in Mutare with a monthly production capacity of 1 500 tonnes of margarine and 200 tonnes of baking fat will be ready for operation next month (December), The Manica Post has learnt.

Special Advisor to President Mnangagwa on Monitoring Implementation of Government Programmes and Projects, Dr Joram Gumbo visited the plant last week and expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the company.

The tour was meant to monitor the progress of projects being implemented under the 100-Day Cycle.

Dr Gumbo said production at the margarine plant which is now 95 percent complete will reduce importation of finished goods, while promoting exports on the international market.

“The expectation of Government is that the bulk of goods sold in our supermarkets should be produced locally. It is instructive to note that at the advent of the Second Republic in 2017, approximately 37 percent of the products on our supermarket shelves were produced locally.

“I am pleased to report that through initiatives such as the Willowton Margarine Plant, 80 percent of the products in our supermarkets are now locally produced,” he said.

Dr Gumbo commended the private sector for heeding Government’s call and playing its part in developing the nation.

“While Government has set the tone for comprehensive national development under the auspices of Vision 2030, President Mnanagagwa has implored the private sector to play its part instead of being mere by-standers.

“More economic benefits are expected to accrue downstream through entrepreneurial efforts of the local community,” he said.

Dr Gumbo bemoaned the low uptake of locally produced raw materials needed in the production of margarine, including soya bean, sunflower and cotton.

“There is a very strong link between agriculture and the rest of the economy, with the sector providing the bulk of raw materials to cover the needs of manufacturers.

“It is regretable that despite the solid growth in our soya bean, sunflower and cotton industry in recent years, the country still lacks the capacity and skills for local beneficiation.

“The National Development Strategy (NDS1) blueprint acknowledges the low uptake of sunflower, soya bean and cotton in the value chain due to obsolete machinery, outdated technology and the emergence of competing alternatives.

“The utilisation of sunflower, soya bean and cotton seed in edible oil expression is currently below potential. It is against this background that we welcome the implementation of the Willowton Margarine Plant project as part of efforts to develop the value chain,” said Dr Gumbo.

He said the huge investment by Willowton Group Zimbabwe complements Government’s call for value addition and beneficiation of the country’s agricultural produce, including soya bean, cotton and sunflower.

Dr Gumbo also said the investment is a demonstration of the favourable trade and investment climate in the country.

In an interview, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza hailed the setting up of the margarine plant and said it will contribute to the province’s economic growth.

He said the margarine plant is a commendable initiative that will boost the province’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He also said it is commendable that the new plant will create jobs for local youths, while enhancing the quality of their livelihoods.

“This is a great achievement for our province and our nation at large. The margarine plant will create jobs, boost local production and improve food security. We are grateful to private players and Government for making this possible. We hope that this will inspire more development projects in our province,” said Minister Mugadza.

Willowton Group Zimbabwe’s managing director, Mr Suleman Darsot said they will start trial runs in the coming two weeks, adding that their margarine will be on supermarket shelves by Christmas this year.

“The project is fully funded by Willowton Group Zimbabwe and we will produce the Romi and Delight brands. We are at 95 percent completion, with the only thing holding us back being refrigeration.

“Once that is complete, we will start our trial runs in the next two weeks and hopefully by Christmas, we will have our margarine on the shelves. Initially, we will start at 50 tonnes a day and increase production with time,” he said.

Mr Darsot said they are currently importing raw materials from Indonesia and Malaysia, with plans to source them locally in the future.