South African agri-processing business, Tongaat Hullet, on Tuesday said that its project to develop more land for sugarcane farming in Zimbabwe’s southeastern Lowveld is on track.
The project dubbed “Project Kilimanjaro” is supported by the Government of Zimbabwe and a consortium of banks led by CABS and CBZ.
Under the project, 3 362 hectares for sugarcane at Hippo Valley and Triangle Estates will be developed by the year 2020. The statement reads in part:
To date, some 2,200 hectares of bush has been cleared and good progress has been made in the construction of night storage dams, conveyance canals, roads, drains, and related infrastructure. The first 300 hectares are set to be planted before the end of August.
… At an average yield of 120 tons of cane per hectare, this new development will deliver about 400,000 tons of cane to our mills per season, translating to 50,000 tons of additional sugar production or approximately 30 million additional litres of ethanol.