Cold Storage Company trebles cattle slaughter rate
Zimbabwe's state-run beef giant shows recovery after US$9.3 million rescue from Mutapa Investment Fund.
Zimbabwe's Cold Storage Company (CSC) has tripled its daily cattle slaughter rate from 50 to 150 head. This recovery follows a US$9.3 million cash injection last year from its parent company, the Mutapa Investment Fund.
The Bulawayo-based processor's refrigeration facilities can now accommodate 320 carcasses. Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr Anxious Masuka, visited the facility and noted its progress towards a processing capacity of 800 beasts a day.
CSC, formed in 1937, once handled up to 150,000 tonnes of beef a year and exported to the EU. Its decline began in 1992, accelerating in 2001 when the EU suspended imports after a Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak, leading to debts over US$25 million.
Why it mattersZimbabwe's beef industry is showing signs of revival, with the state-run Cold Storage Company increasing its slaughter rate after financial support.