The Lantern: State of the art abattoir in Gwanda

Kovedzayi Takawira

Mr Eggs Asima of Farm Harvest a beneficiary of the Municipality of Gwanda’s Local Incentives On Agro-processing Manufacturing has set up a state of the art abattoir in the Gold city of Matabeleland.

The incentive by M.O.G stipulates that there shall be 25% discount on land sale, additional 10% for outright cash payment towards land value to those who want to invest in town in the above mentioned line of business and if construction commences within 12 months there shall be 100% waiver of developmental fees

With a farm in West Nicholson Mr Asima former General Manager of Pretoria Portland Company, started as a cattle rancher supplying beasts to local butcheries

“After selling a few beasts from our own farm we thought we could do better thus when we thought of having a butchery” he said

However he went on to tell how the mind of an abattoir came up

“after realising we can stretch our wings further we decided to have our own abattoir so we can cut costs and be a supplier of other butcheries including ours, we hence approached the municipality for land in 2013”

Upon approaching the council for land with the mind of negotiating Mr Asima found the incentives on offer

He however bought 11.5 hectares of land at the Hampden industrial site, cash payment for the land making him a recipient of full benefits of the investment incentive

The Class B abattoir has the capacity of slaughtering 50 beasts a day, and currently is currently the leading supplier of meat to butcheries, supermarkets and restaurants around the town

Speaking to Gwanda Town Clerk Priscilla Nkala showered praises to the abattoir by saying

“Asima has made life easier for nearby farmers who used to travel as far as Bulawayo in search of an abattoir as it is now within their peripherals and this is one line of business we lacked in town”

“however we do call for other investors to insetivise in other sectors like hospitality to come an invest in town as these are real” said Nkala