Rutendo Rori

Mash East correspondent

Mashonaland East leading tobacco contracting company Voedsel is set to construct an auction floor in Marondera, a development which will bring convenience to farmers in the province.

Marondera Municipality has formally agreed to sell 3,6 hectares of land worth more than US$1 million to Voedsel.

Voedsel Tobacco Auction company managing director Mr Innocent Mahufe told The Herald that the project would be similar to the one built in Karoi.

“It is true that we have plans to build an auction floor in Marondera and this will bring convenience to many farmers in the province.

“The increased activities in Marondera town will also boost the town’s GDP.

“The auction floor will also increase an ecosystem of service providers, traders, financial institutions, who will coalesce in and around the town.”

Marondera mayor Simbarashe Nyahuye confirmed the development and said proper procedures were followed before selling the land to the company. “It is true that Marondera municipality, entered into an agreement with Voedsel Tobacco Auction company to sell 3,6 hectares of land to them ,” he said.

“Correct procedures were followed before coming to an agreement with the tobacco auction company. We offered them land after they applied to us,” said the Mayor.

Cllr Nyahuye said council officials did a tour of the company’s premises in Karoi and were satisfied with what they saw before releasing the land.

“We wanted to establish their suitability to bet the 10 hectares that they had applied for, so they took us to Karoi where they have other business premises similar to the one they are setting up in Marondera,” he said.

“After touring the Karoi premises, Marondera municipality officials were satisfied with what they saw before releasing the land.

“After realising that the type of business they had applied for was ideal for the industrial area, we then offered them part of the land in Marondera’s industrial area, whilst the remainder will be allocated in Hunyani area.”

Meanwhile, Voedsel is targeting US$75 million from tobacco sales.

Mr Mahufe said the company had put all systems in place in anticipation of a favourable tobacco marketing season.

Voedsel is a Zimbabwean indigenous company which has been involved in the tobacco value chain through contracting small-scale farmers in Mashonaland East, Manicaland and Mashonaland West, tobacco processing, trading and exporting.