ARDA Reopens Norton Fruit Processing Plant

By Lemuel Chekai

The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) has reopened the refurbished Best Fruit Processors (BFP) plant in Norton marking a major milestone in the Government’s drive towards value addition, agro-industrialisation and rural economic transformation.

The plant, which had been dormant for the past four years, has been fully modernised and is now positioned as a key pillar in ARDA’s strategy to provide guaranteed markets for smallholder farmers and Village Business Units (VBUs) across the country.

With a processing capacity of up to 100 000 kilogrammes of tomatoes per day into paste, or an equivalent volume of fresh fruit into pulp concentrate, the facility is expected to significantly reduce post-harvest losses while ensuring consistent incomes for rural producers.

Speaking at the reopening, ARDA’s Director for Commercial Operations said the revival of the Norton plant goes beyond industrial activity, describing it as a catalyst for broad-based rural development.

“This is not just about reopening a factory; it is about activating an entire ecosystem. By guaranteeing markets for processing-grade produce, we are de-risking farming, promoting higher-value crop production and ensuring wealth generated in rural areas is retained and multiplied,” the official said.

The reopening aligns with Government’s Vision 2030 agenda, which prioritises value addition and beneficiation as a pathway to inclusive economic growth.

By processing raw agricultural produce into shelf-stable products such as tomato paste and fruit concentrates, ARDA is increasing domestic value retention, reducing import dependence and creating skilled employment opportunities within the agro-processing sector.

The Norton plant will primarily source its raw materials from ARDA’s nationwide network of VBUs and smallholder farmers, creating an integrated production-to-processing value chain.

This closed-loop system is expected to stabilise pricing for farmers, stimulate rural economies and supply both local and regional markets with high-quality, locally manufactured food products.