By Simbarashe Muparaganda
Bulawayo, (New Ziana) — After years of operational challenges, the Cold Storage Company (CSC) is stepping up its recovery following a US$9.3 million capital injection by the Mutapa Investment Fund to assist in reviving its biggest abattoir as well as rebuilding processing capacity.
Speaking after touring the CSC Bulawayo facility on Wednesday, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka commended the Mutapa Investment Fund for its role in reviving the state-owned meat processor.
He said funding provided so far had supported a major refurbishment programme, including upgrades to processing equipment and cold-storage infrastructure, to improve efficiency and boost production.
“I would like to commend the Mutapa Investment Fund for mobilising funds to resuscitate CSC. The work was aimed at restoring the abattoir to a processing capacity of at least 800 cattle a day,” he said, describing it as a target under reconstruction, rather than a current daily output.
“We are resuscitating their biggest abattoir to a processing capacity of at least 800 pieces a day,” he said.
Masuka said the revitalisation comes as Zimbabwe prepares for below-normal rainfall, which could put feed and water resources under pressure and prompt farmers to sell cattle quickly.
“Our advice to farmers is that they must bring their cattle through the CSC facilities,” he said, urging farmers to use the company facilities rather than panic-sell their livestock.
He said the CSC was also reviving its 117 000-hectare ranches, while its feedlots with a capacity for 5 000 cattle were up and running.
“The company could provide an important market for farmers, particularly those in communal areas,” he said.
Masuka called for the recovery programme to be accelerated and existing business links strengthened, saying the CSC should become “brighter, better” than it was before and reach more markets in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere.
“Going forward, my expectation is that this resuscitation can be accelerated, the synergies that have been built can be consolidated so that CSC cannot only get back to the old CSC but will be brighter, better with more markets in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere.
“The company also has a small-stock line focused on sheep and the CSC could eventually process poultry and use its cold-chain facilities for other agricultural products that require refrigeration,” he said.
Over the past six months, funding from the Mutapa Investment Fund has assisted the CSC double its daily cattle-slaughter capacity as the state-owned processor works to revive operations and regain ground in the beef industry.
New Ziana
