ZIMBABWE – National Foods (NatFoods) is now operating at full capacity on its mills after seeing increased demand following the introduction of imports control on flour.
NatFoods Managing Director Mikle Lashbrook told The Herald business that the milling company has benefited immensely from the government interventions.
“The group’s two mills at Bulawayo and Harare are now operating in full capacity following the government support,” Lashbrook said.
“The three biggest bakeries in the country (Lobels bread, bakers Inn and Proton) remain strong and loyal supporters of the Zimbabwean milling industry. NatFoods is happy with the support it’s receiving from the baking industry as whole,” Lashbrook informed the newspaper.
He said that NatFoods had invested US$9million in upgrading its flour milling platform and is now reaping the benefits of its investments.
“Following that investment, the quality of NatFoods Flour is comparable if not better than imports.
In the current financial year, Natfoods is set to invest a further $3.4million towards the milling platform.
Support of the milling industry will also aid in the recovery of local agriculture and also increase its contract farming hectarage and be the off takers of local wheat produced from the Command agriculture,” he said
He said over the past two winter seasons, NatFoods has contracted over 5000 hectares of local wheat and has also been the biggest purchasers of local wheat.
January 26, 2017.
