ARISTON Holdings is making significant investments to enhance the processing of macadamia nuts and tea at its estates in Chipinge.
The company is modernising its facilities to increase production and enable other producers to utilise the infrastructure.
This development complements Government’s push for greater value addition in agriculture to boost exports and support local industries.
During a recent media tour, Ariston Holdings head of engineering, Engineer Gibbs Manyukwa said plans to construct a large macadamia nut cracking plant are in progress.
The facility will have capacity exceeding the company’s needs, allowing other farmers and producers in the area to utilise it.
“We intend to build a cracking plant with a greater capacity than our own requirements, enabling other stakeholders to benefit from it as well. Additionally, we will establish a pas teurisation system to ensure that the nuts are export-ready,” said Engineer Manyukwa.
Regarding tea production, the company is upgrading its factories to employ more advanced and energy-efficient technology.
Engineer Manyukwa said they are transitioning from traditional withering systems to continuous withering systems, a method used globally to produce higher-quality tea while reducing energy consumption.
“At present, we utilise old withering troughs, but we aim to adopt continuous withering systems. These systems will enhance productivity and improve the quality of our tea,” he said.
The continuous withering process separates the procedure into two stages – chemical and physical – unlike the traditional method, which combines both stages.
This approach will also reduce energy usage and enhance the flavour and quality of the final product.
Ariston’s head of agriculture, Mr Garry Thickettle said the company is focusing on processing its products locally and preparing them for export, particularly macadamia nuts.
“For macadamia nuts, we initiate the process by drying the nuts to facilitate export. We also operate a factory where we crack the nuts and package them for final sale. Our objective is to expand this operation, ensuring that all processing is conducted locally, rather than exporting raw nuts outside the country,” he said.
Currently, Ariston exports between 1 200 and 1 500 tonnes of macadamia nuts in shell annually.