Hanawa Contracts 1,000 Potato Farmers

Potato chips manufacturer in Zimbabwe Hanawa Super Foods has contracted over 1,000 farmers to grow potatoes, as it moves to cut imports, a company official said, according to the local press.

The potato crisps manufacturer’s executive chairman Larry Mavima told NewsDay that the company has now embarked in an outgrowers’ scheme with farmers.

“So we need to produce so many tons of potatoes throughout the year. We have increased potato hectarage by 450 hectares. We have identified small-scale growers in Nyanga — over a thousand of them who are producing specifically for Hanawa Super Foods — so what it means is that there are jobs that have been created as result of Hanawa coming into the market,” he said.

Apart from Nyanga, Mavima said contracted farmers were producing the peculiar variety of potatoes in Midlands, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland East provinces.

“What’s critical about this business is that it’s not just about production of crisps. We use a special variety of potatoes. A lot of people in this country don’t grow those potatoes. So what we have done is, we have started our out growers scheme where we have identified farmers whom we give offtake agreements,” he said.

Besides crisp manufacturing, Mavima said the company would diversify into other food products in the near future.