The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is producing about 25 000 loaves of bread daily using a blend of orange-fleshed sweet potato and wheat flour under its Agro-Ind...
The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) is producing about 25 000 loaves of bread daily using a blend of orange-fleshed sweet potato and wheat flour under its Agro-Industrial Park.
UZ Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo disclosed the production figure yesterday during a tour of the university’s industrial facilities by a high-level ZANU PF Politburo delegation led by Secretary General Advocate Jacob Mudenda.
Prof Mapfumo said the use of sweet potato in bread production was creating an alternative value chain alongside the traditional wheat value chain.
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“That innovation is triggering a new value chain. We have the traditional wheat value chain, but now we also have a sweet potato value chain that is more inclusive,” Prof Mapfumo said.
“It allows every farmer and household in rural and agricultural areas to participate,” he said.
He said the decision to blend orange-fleshed sweet potato with wheat flour was intended to reduce production costs while improving the nutritional value of bread consumed by the public.
“We are blending orange-fleshed sweet potato with wheat flour. That reduces costs while boosting nutritional value,” Prof Mapfumo said.
The university distributes most of the bread to small and medium enterprises in Harare and surrounding areas. The areas supplied include Hatcliff, Domboshava, Mazowe and Nyabira.
The bread is distributed under the university’s Nu Gold brand using its own delivery trucks. The trucks also supply cooking oil to SMEs and communities around Harare.
“The university has deployed its own delivery trucks supplying both bread and cooking oil to SMEs and communities around Harare,” Prof Mapfumo said.
“We are currently producing about 25 000 loaves per day, with the bulk of the bread being delivered to SMEs,” he said.
The bread production is part of UZ’s wider Education 5.0 industrialisation drive, which links the university’s academic work to production and industrial activity.
Secretary for Education, Ideology and Research Cde Charles Tawengwa said the progress at UZ showed that Education 5.0 was moving from policy to production.
He said the programme now needed to be upscaled to meet national demand.
The university’s industrialisation drive is aligned to Government’s Vision 2030 target of achieving an upper-middle-income economy driven by science, technology and innovation.
The delegation accompanying Advocate Mudenda included Secretary for Education, Ideology and Research Cde Charles Tawengwa, Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa, Secretary for War Veterans Affairs Cde Douglas Mahiya, Deputy Secretary for Security Cde Tendai Chirau, Secretary for Business Development Cde Eliphas Mashaba and Senator Dr James Makamba, among other senior party officials.
The development at UZ places bread production alongside other industrial activities being undertaken through the university’s Agro-Industrial Park, with the sweet potato-wheat blend forming part of its efforts to develop an alternative value chain.
