Tongaat eyes 25 000 beef herd
LOWVELD sugar producer Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe ( THZ) is working on increasing its cattle herd from 5 500 to 25 000 as it expands sugar production.
The company is also working in increasing production of stockfeed, as its major by- product.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the commissioning of the US$40 million Kilimanjaro Sugar Cane Project in the Lowveld last weekend, Tongaat Hulett chief executive Mr Gavin Hudson said his firm was prepared to enter into joint ventures with local communities on stock, using his firm’s stockfeed.
“We can go up to 25 000 cattle but it does not have to be Tongaat alone but it can be joint ventures with locals,” he said.
“We have a clear strategy of how we want to expand operations in Zimbabwe and that includes cattle farming but it is not about grazing but it is about stockfeed. We can feed up to 25 000 cattle but we are underusing that capability at the moment.”
He said the issue of sugar cane yields was critical in efforts to grow the beef sector as it would guarantee availability of molasses for stockfeed.
“The reason for this ( modest cattle farming by Tongaat) has to do with yields of cane to generate more ethanol and more molasses to improve our beef herd. We would want to get to 25 000 cattle,” he said.
Mr Hudson said Tongaat was embarking on game- changing projects such as Kilimanjaro to increase aggregate sugar output per annum, output of ethanol for fuel blending and molasses for stockfeed.
The lowveld sugar producer has previously showed interest to partner Government in the revival of the Cold Storage Company in Masvingo ( CSC).
CSC has state of the art machinery for beef processing at its Masvingo plant and several farms where cattle could be fattened before slaughtering.
At its peak 400 cattle were slaughtered at the plant daily while more than 4 000 people were employed on contract and full time basis.
Tongaat has been working closely with cattle farmers in and around Chiredzi to boost the beef herd by building feed lots to provide supplementary feed.
The development has improved the quality of the cattle herd in surrounding areas while also assisting them with pastures because of drought.
The firm’s thrust to help rebuild and expand the local beef herd will go a long way in reviving the fortunes of the once thriving local beef industry which used to generate a lot of foreign currency.
Zimbabwe used to be a major beef producer exporting to niche markets such as the European Union which earned the country millions of dollars in forex annually.