The Sunday News
Dickson Mangena, Business Reporter
NEWLY-REBRANDED earth moving equipment supplier, Kanu Equipment will start providing customised agricultural equipment meant to cater for all types of farmers in Zimbabwe as part of improving the sector seen as pivotal to the economic revival.
Kanu Equipment is formerly Torre Zimbabwe which rebranded after a partnership with a local company Phathisa Fund Managers.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch in Bulawayo last week, Kanu Equipment general manager Mr Khumbula Ndlovu said the company was looking forward to supply farmers with affordable equipment across the country.
“As Kanu we believe that for the economy of Zimbabwe to be revived, the agricultural sector needs to work efficiently. And for the agriculture sector to work efficiently we need the right equipment. So the partnership that we have created with Phatisa Fund Managers is bringing that on board and it is going to give us equipment that is going to look at the small farmer, the middle farmer and the commercial farmers,” said Mr Ndlovu.
Mr Ndlovu said the company will consider the different types of farmers in the country and the equipment they can afford.
“Looking at the small farmer who may not afford a four by four tractor but long ago we used to have small tractors with two wheels in the front and one at the back and they could plough. We want to bring those back but more efficient now as we bring ways to support the small farmer whom we used to call the subsistence farmers, as they are sitting on business. The middle farmer, predominantly those that benefited from the land redistribution and you find out that the farmer cannot even afford to fence that piece of land, clear the land or do a fireguard. We have the equipment that is why we say we hire some of the equipment out because they cannot afford to buy,” Mr Ndlovu said.
He also said that the company was looking forward to working with agriculture funding banks to efficiently service loans to avoid the risk of misappropriations of loans by farmers
“We will make deals with banks that loan out for agriculture. When someone gets a loan for equipment the bank tells the person to come and take the equipment from Kanu and the bank will then pay directly to us. Thus reducing the risks that the bank usually takes of loaning out money and it doesn’t go to buying farming equipment,” said Mr Ndlovu
Mr Ndlovu said for larger commercial farmers who may want to recapitalise, the company is well equipped to bring the equipment to them as sourcing them outside the country may be difficult for individual farmers.
“Commercial farmers would want to use big satellite system planters. These are the people that we are looking at because we believe that for this country to move again, the value chain starts with agriculture. We are positioning ourselves at the beginning of the value chain,” Mr Ndlovu said.
Mr Ndlovu also said that the company is also targeting mining.
“We opened an office in Hwange and we are focusing on energy and we have chosen our fights wisely,” Mr Ndlovu said.
@Dixen6
