The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
CSC-Boustead Beef Zimbabwe says it is at various stages of engagement with stakeholders with the aim of forming strategic partnerships so as to complete their value chain.
The firm which resumed operations in August after 22 years of closure, re-opened anchored on renewed business modelling that connects more livestock farmers and downstream industries.
In an interview, CSC-Boustead Beef consultant Mr Reginald Shoko said engagements were being done for strategic partnerships needed to complete the value chain.
“The whole exercise needs Agritex services, dip tanks, re-training of farmers, genetics management, grass nurturing, keeping our water/environment clean and not polluted, livestock husbandry among others. So, we are already at various stages of engagement with different stakeholders for strategic partnerships.
“Complementary services from the Government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Rural District Councils (RDCs), farmers’ unions, veterinarian services, seed companies and feed manufacturers just to name a few are critical to complete the value chain,” said Mr Shoko.
CSC-Boustead Beef Zimbabwe
He said their aim was for the plant to carry out proper value addition to all their products so that they are not identified only for their meat.
Mr Shoko said they were looking into how they will be value-adding the hides and the whole idea was to make sure that leather is accessible to everyone.
“Hides in the sorting room, which are expected to continue increasing as operations grow, will feed into Boustead Leather which has moved from producing wet blue into full leather,” he said.
“The company now has a production line that encompasses the purchase of hides, tanning, designing, taxidermy and training.”
He said they would also be reducing tallow and stock feed importation by producing them at the factory.
Mr Shoko said with the value chain growing, the idea of such a plant was to reap and harvest all by-products from a cow so that it makes things accessible and prices lower for everyone.
“There is a need to exercise patience as the process unfolds that will give value to the farmers in the long run. It’s a mindset shift, so the need to manage these changes will be crucial so that they see livestock farming as a business,” he said.
In terms of the toll service slaughter, Mr Shoko said slaughtering was now a daily exercise and has had a daily peak.
He said gradually their next target was 100 per day and strategically 200 to 500, 800 then 1 200 will be the ultimate target under the current set for the day slaughter.
With continuous rehabilitations ongoing at the plant, Mr Shoko said: “Three out of five chillers are in use with a capacity of 160 carcasses each. Outstanding chillers have been given under a month to be fully utilised. Two out of five cold rooms are now in use with a capacity of 200 carcasses each. The remaining cold rooms should be ready by mid-November.”
He said the company was setting up commercially run feedlots franchises in CSC-Boustead Beef feedlots that are already in existence, while feedlots letting had already begun.
Mr Shoko said they were also rolling out various financial schemes with strategic partners for those in need of capital, an opportunity to benefit farmers countrywide.
“Farmers so far are happy with the turnaround, the chilling facilities before collection, convenience the facility is offering to farmers in general and cost of slaughter services among others.”
