Schweppes Zimbabwe Ltd intend
to invest US$35 million in the next ten years into a 2,700 hectare citrus plantation as it seeks to increase production and valued addition at its Beitbridge Juice Processing Plant. The company’s managing director Charles Msipa, said currently they are processing around 20,000 tonnes of fruit annually against a target of at least 40,000.
Msipa said the local fruit producers were struggling to meet the feedstock target considering that they were producing for both the local and export market. To enhance community development in Beitbridge, 300 hectares at the new citrus plantation had been reserved for use by members supported by Schweppes.
“Citrus production has shifted from the country’s northern region (Mazowe) to the southern region (Beitbridge), where climatic conditions were very conducive. We are seized with the preliminary works which will see us moving to the land at Zhovhe Dam, where there is plenty of water for irrigation-based farming,” Msipa told herald.co.zw.
He said the citrus greenfield would come with significantly increased programmes they intend to introduce. Among these are producing more fruits for processing various products for the local and export markets.