The ManicaPost
Blessing Rwizi Post Correspondent
UNAVAILABILITY of groundnuts locally has compromised production of peanut butter, a situation which has led local producers resorting to importing the nuts from regional countries.
Mr Alexander Mazanhi, the director of Peelchart Investments, a peanut butter firm situated in Nyakamete Industrial Area, said they were importing tonnes of groundnuts from Malawi since the local market was failing to supply enough for daily production.
Malawi produces several types of groundnuts which produces better quality peanut butter.
“Among other constraints, we are failing to acquire enough groundnuts locally for production. We have resorted to importing tonnes of the nuts from Malawi where groundnuts are readily available. When the nuts are available, we produce 2000 units a day. We import the nuts in Malawi on a monthly basis. This has also proved to be expensive,” he said.
The firm has eight full time workers as well as contract workers who are often hired when need arises.
Among other challenges, Mr Mazanhi said they were failing to access bank loans since the requirements are stringent and difficult to meet.
He said there was need for Government to promote small-scale processors. The decline in production has been necessitated by grain eating pests and aphids, while the market cannot be sustained on local production.
Unlike countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, groundnuts are not grown on commercial scale like in Zimbabwe.
The firm was established in 2014 and has managed to sail through despite economic challenges bedevilling the manufacturing sector. Various companies in Mutare have closed shop or operating below par because of unavailability of raw materials.
