The reopening of the Best Fruit Processors (BFP) plant in Norton by the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) represents a renewed push to address long-standing structural challenges in Zimbabwe’s agricultural value chains, particularly market access for smallholder farmers.
After four years of inactivity, the refurbished facility is now operational with the capacity to process up to 100 000 kilogrammes of tomatoes into paste daily, or an equivalent volume of fresh fruit into pulp concentrate. The development is expected to play a critical role in reducing post-harvest losses, a persistent problem that has undermined rural incomes for years.
ARDA says the plant will serve as a guaranteed off-take market for Village Business Units (VBUs) and small-scale farmers drawn from all eight farming provinces, providing predictability in pricing and demand — a rarity in the smallholder agricultural sector.
“This project is about building a complete agro-industrial ecosystem,” said ARDA’s Director for Commercial Operations. “Guaranteed processing markets lower risk for farmers, encourage diversification into higher-value crops and help ensure that economic benefits remain within rural communities.”
The initiative dovetails with the Government’s Vision 2030 objectives, which emphasise value addition and beneficiation as engines of sustainable growth. By transitioning from raw produce sales to processed, shelf-stable products, ARDA aims to capture more value locally while easing pressure on foreign currency through reduced imports.
Under the model, produce from ARDA-supported VBUs feeds directly into the Norton processing plant, creating a vertically integrated supply chain. Analysts note that if effectively managed, this closed-loop system could help stabilise farmer incomes, stimulate rural economic activity and position local agro-processed products competitively in both domestic and regional markets.
However, stakeholders caution that long-term success will depend on consistent supply, efficient plant management and timely payments to farmers — factors that have previously hindered similar initiatives.