By Kudzaishe Chimonera
A bio-economy plant in Mutoko is being hailed as a model for rural industrialisation transforming locally grown crops into products such as cooking oil, soap and biodiesel.
The Finealt facility links small-scale farmers directly to manufacturing, reflecting a broader government push to integrate agriculture with industry and boost value addition in rural areas.
Officials say the initiative is part of efforts to ensure communities benefit more from their produce by moving beyond raw crop sales to processed goods.
Speaking during a tour of the plant, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Professor Obert Jiri said collaboration across government institutions is essential for sustainable development.
“Development, industrialization cannot be done by one ministry, it has to be a whole of government approach,” he said.
Jiri added that agricultural production remains the backbone of such projects, providing the raw materials needed for processing.
“So when we talk about rural development it is the feedstock from the farmers, it is the plant that value adds and beneficiates,” he said.
The plant processes crops such as sunflower and jatropha, creating a range of products while opening new markets for local farmers.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Fanuel Tagwira said the project forms part of Zimbabwe’s bio-economy strategy.
“This facility you see here, its bio economy where we are saying our own biological products that we find in Zimbabwe, we must unlock value out of them for the benefit of the people,” he said.
He noted that the addition of a sunflower processing unit has strengthened ties with surrounding communities, who now supply raw materials to the plant.
“In the big addition that has happened here is the sunflower plant… where we are now working with the communities to collect sunflowers… produce cooking oil and at the same time we are also producing soap from the very same plant,” he said.
The government-funded project is being presented as a practical example of how rural areas can industrialise by leveraging local resources.
Officials say such initiatives could help create jobs, increase incomes and reduce dependence on imported goods while supporting Zimbabwe’s broader economic transformation agenda.
