ARDA chairman, Basil Nyabadza

THE Agriculture Rural Development Authority (ARDA) is set to resume groundnut exports following a six-year hiatus, the parastatal’s chairman has said.
ARDA chairman, Basil Nyabadza, said last week the firm had already secured an order from South Africa.
“For the first time in six years, we are exporting groundnuts starting this February. We have secured an order from South Africa and are already processing plus or minus 
2 000 tonnes.
“We are also looking at pearl millet and sorghum. There is a market and market-led production will trigger economic activity in villages in Muzarabani and Nyanga,” Nyabadza said.
Nyabadza said ARDA, which owns 21 estates around the country, has been in a retooling drive, actively looking for partnerships to improve output.
“Estates that have been revived include Jotsholo and Tsholotsho (Matabeleland North) where we are producing maize and wheat and livestock respectively. Balu Estate, in Umguza, has embarked on pecan nut production, and an investor will start with 250 hectares of the nuts,” he said.
The ARDA boss said a milling facility has just been installed at an estate at Mapisa growth point in Matabeleland South.
“Mapisa Estate has a maize farm with silos and dryers to expedite migration from maize to winter cropping. A milling facility has just been installed as we don’t want to take maize to Bulawayo but mealie-meal,” he said.
ARDA is also doing cereals in Bulilima — wheat in winter and maize in summer — with a herd of plus or minus 2 000 cattle.
In Midlands, ARDA has maize and soya bean crops; winter wheat is also produced there while Masvingo has one wildlife estate and a sugarcane estate.
ARDA has three estates in Manicaland; one produces sugarcane in Chisumbanje, which is used in ethanol production.
“We have tea estates in Kati, Honde Valley and an investor has just taken up Rusitu Estate where we are reviving macadamia nut production. Small grains, especially sorghum, are critical to stock feed manufacturing and that in the long-run should limit maize to human consumption. As it is now, chickens, pigs and humans are competing for maize,” he said.
The parastatal also has a joint venture with Schweppes Zimbabwe at the Best Fruit Processors, Zangrida plant in Norton where production has 
been steadily ramping up, albeit seasonally.
The joint venture, in which 70 percent is owned by Schweppes through Beitbridge Juicing Company with the balance held by ARDA, is also eyeing exports to Tanzania.
[email protected]