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George Maponga in MASVINGO
The Masvingo provincial leadership has earmarked nearly 60 000 hectares for cattle ranching by indigenous farmers in the Lowveld to resuscitate the Cold Storage Company plant in Masvingo city. The CSC plant in Masvingo city has been lying idle for the past decade owing to a dip in cattle production in the province, leaving hundreds of workers jobless.

Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Senator Shuvai Mahofa revealed recently that plans were at an advanced stage to allocate more than 200 new model A2 indigenous cattle producers farms in Mwenezi and Chiredzi to venture into cattle production.

Sen Mahofa said the resuscitation of the CSC plant in Masvingo city was part of Government’s main targets to stimulate economic growth in the province in line with Zim-Asset.

“We want to make sure that the CSC plant that shut down in the Masvingo industrial area is reopened so that we can create employment to boost the economy of the province,’’ she said.

“Plans are at an advanced stage to identify land for cattle ranching that will be allocated to indigenous cattle farmers so that they supply CSC with cattle. The Lowveld has potential to be a major cattle producing region in Masvingo province.’’

Sen Mahofa said the CSC plant in Masvingo used to get cattle supplies from white former commercial farmers across the province. The farms were allocated to landless blacks under the land reform programme.

She said indigenous farmers were supposed to fill the void left by white farmers by entering into the lucrative beef producing industry.

“Government will assist the new cattle farmers with heifers for breeding purposes and it is our hope that once the CSC plant in Masvingo is up and running, the economic fortunes of the province will change for the better,’’ she said.

The closed CSC plant in Masvingo used to be one of the biggest beef processors in Zimbabwe, with about 400 beasts slaughtered daily at its peak.

The plant is now lying idle with most of the beef production being handled by private abattoirs.

CSC is struggling to revive its plants across the country mainly owing to capital constraints, a development that has impinged on efforts to restore the firm to its old days.