Published: 06 November 2013

The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has missed the target of commissioning its stock-feeds manufacturing plant in Norton in September due to delays in the shipment of critical components required to finish construction, an official said on Tuesday.

The plant will now be commissioned in December this year, the New Ziana reported.

Construction of the plant started in 2007, but lack of funding and the hyper-inflationary environment that characterized the economy in 2008 stalled progress. GMB corporate communications manager, Mrs Muriel Zemura said the plant would come on line in December.

"The Norton stock feed plant is now earmarked for commissioning in December 2013. We have missed our target by three months which is normal with projects of this nature.

"This was as a result of shipping delays of some of the critical components of the plant which have now arrived and are currently being installed."

Zemura said the plant would have capacity to produce a total of 240 metric tonnes per day.

The plant, to produce stock-feed for cattle, poultry and pigs, is expected to ease current bottlenecks in supplies on the market.

The initiative is meant to boost revenue inflows for the parastatal, which has on many occasions failed to timeously pay farmers who deliver grain to its depots.

- New Ziana

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