JB ‘impressed’ after visiting Zim’s Gushongo diary: ‘Lessons learnt on job creation’

President Joyce Banda has applauded the Zimbabwe First Family, Grace Mugabe for establishing a thriving enterprise and taking the lead in value-addition and employment creation in the wake of Zimbabwe’s land reform programme.

Presidential assistant press officer Fallys Ngalauka said President Banda and First Gentleman retired Chief Justice Richard Banda visited the Gushungo dairy estate in Mazowe on Thursday.

President Robert Mugabe and Grace Mugabe welcomed the Malawian first couple.

President Banda said she is impressed with the computerised farm as it provides chance to the Malawian delegation to learn lessons from the dairy farm.

She praised Mugabe’s vision of empowering ordinary people through farming and the indigenisation programme.

“What has impressed me most about the farm is the ability to employ hundreds of people, I have always said if we want poverty to end, we must as leaders create jobs for the poor and I have seen that is what the dairy farm is doing,” said the Malawi leader.

The farm has over 1 300 dairy cows, 500 of them currently being milked and producing a total of 375 000 liters per month.

A milk factory complex comprising a milking parlour with computerised state-of-the-art equipment produces yoghurts, sour and fresh milk as well as flavoured milk and other products.

Zimbabwean First lady, Grace Mugabe commended President Banda for visiting the dairy.

President Banda, who is visiting  Zimbabwe  for the first time since taking over power after the death last year of her predecessor Bingu wa Mutharika, who was a close ally to Mugabe, is expected to officially open the 54th Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo on Friday.

Malawi has 11 companies exhibiting at the fair drawn mainly from agriculture, timber, textile, food processing and manufacturing.