BULAWAYO Abattoirs, a subsidiary of Grills Group of Companies, has been named the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) 2013 exporter of the year after exporting more than 1 000 tonnes of bovine hides to South Africa, China and Italy, Southern Eye Business has established.
MTHANDAZO NYONI OWN CORRESPONDENT
The company specialises in farming and abattoirs business activities.
It won the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce 2013 award last week for being the exporter of the year for the Matabeleland region in the agricultural sector.
In an interview with Southern Eye Business yesterday, Bulawayo abattoirs exports officer, Roger Tavares said they have grown in strength by investing in hide collection points in the rural slaughter poles.
“We have grown in strength by investing in hide collection points in the rural slaughter poles and in giving technical assistance to these suppliers in the preservation and skinning of animals to supply a quality hide. We have established satellite feedlots in Mangwe, Bulilima, Matobo and Inzisa,” Tavares said.
The firm offers financial, technical and transport support to 13 community run feedlots in and around Matabeleland, adding that the community schemes assisted them in achieving these merits.
In 2012, Bulawayo Abattoirs was runner-up in the exporter of the year for the Matabeleland region.
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It had exported 48 000 bovine hides, about 1 060 tonnes while last year it exported 72 000 bovine hides approximately 1 600 tonnes.
There are fears in the cattle industry the national head is dwindling.
Zimbabwe Farmers’ Trust Alliance last year warned that unless abattoirs, butcheries and cattle feed sellers teamed up with farmers to tackle drought, there would be no cattle to talk about in Matabeleland by May this year.
In 2012, a devastating drought saw a total of 9 272 cattle dying in the province and the most affected areas were Mangwe district with 5 476 deaths followed by Matobo with 1 232 deaths and Beitbridge with 1 015 deaths.
The least affected was Umzingwane with only 23 cattle reported dead.
There were no significant livestock exhibits during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair last month due to drought which hit the region in 2012 and 2013.
