Mutare Teachers’ College baobab plant operational

THE 000 baobab and juice manufacturing plant at Mutare Teachers’College, which has the capacity to produce 2 000 litres of baobab juice per hour, has begun operating at full capacity.

The plant, which is being operated by students at the college, is expected to transform livelihoods in rural communities around Manicaland province, in line with Government’s drive to industrialise rural communities.

Speaking during a recent tour of the processing plant, Special Advisor to the President responsible for monitoring implementation of Government programmes Mr Joram Gumbo said the facility was a game changer for rural communities in the province.

“Initially, the plant was meant to be a baobab processing plant, but looking at the geographic location of Manicaland, and the variety of fruits readily available in the region, there is need to be able to make juices from a wide range of indigenous fruits.

“This not only adds economic value to the locals, but is also of nutritional benefit to the consumers.

“It is a versatile kind of equipment and we are very happy that we are going to empower a large section of communities where we draw the raw materials from,” said Minister Gumbo.

The college’s Food Science lecturer, Mr Jabuliso Ncube, told New Ziana: “This plant was purchased for the college by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education,

Innovation, Science and Technology Development as part of the empowerment programme under the Education 5.0 model.

“The ministry purchased this plant from China. The plant is meant to produce bottled water and fruit juices in various varieties, though first priority is to be given to the baobab fruit juice.”

The plant can also produce highly nutritious juices from indigenous fruits such as matamba and mazhanje, as well as exotic and locally available fruits, including pineapples, oranges, mangoes and guavas.

The 2 000-litre-per-hour processing plant has a cooling section, an automated filling and capping section, a bottle blowing section, purifier, conveyor belt, mixing tanks and laminating sections at the exit points of the production chain. — New Ziana