Mvurwi Town, which serves one of the leading tobacco growing areas in Mashonaland Central Province, is eyeing investors who are keen to add value to the crop.
This season, farmers around the town are anticipating a bumper harvest on the back of good rains during the 2022/2023 agriculture season.
The town which houses tobacco auction floors has embarked on a massive expansion drive, with new layout plans opening more land for thousands of stands, which will benefit civil servants and low income earners.
In an interview, Mvurwi Town clerk Mrs Shelly Nyakudya said they were eyeing investors who can add value to tobacco and other crops as the town expands its industrial area.
Following the decentralisation of auctions floors, Mvurwi now has seven auction floors including one of the biggest, Tobacco Sales Floor (TSF).
"Mvurwi is a farming town and tobacco, maize and soya beans are the main crops. We are expecting a bumper harvest following a good 2022/2023 agriculture season," said Mrs Nyakudya.
"As we expand our town, we are also taking into consideration the increase in population.
"With help from a development partner, we revamped our water system while devolution funds were channelled towards new sewer ponds."
Mrs Nyakudya said they have earmarked more stands to civil servants and low income earners, including vendors, so that as many people as possible become home owners.
About 1 038 stands would be ready for allocation soon in the Kurai high density area.
"We also have 200 stands already pegged and title surveyed in the Mbizi medium density. Once the rains cease, we will start offering these stands," she said.
"As the town expands, we have a new school and a number of teachers and other civil servants who are in need of accommodation.
"Low income earners, including vendors will be given the opportunity to own homes at an affordable rate.
"We will make a payment plan and give them the chance to construct bit by bit until no one is left behind like what President Mnangagwa always says."
Mrs Nyakudya said they are inviting universities to come and establish campuses in Mvurwi so that the population gets access to tertiary education in their area.
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She added that the town was surrounded by four large dams and water supply is sufficient.
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, has surveyed the Kanyemba by-pass road, which starts from Pembi Bridge.
The by-pass will ensure that traffic en route Kanyemba will use the by-pass road instead of passing through the town.
Added Mrs Nyakudya: "We anticipate the Kanyemba road to bring in trucks on their way to Central Africa and construction of the by-pass is on our priority list.
"As the auction floors open, we know that the tobacco selling time attracts vendors from other towns. We have constructed a vending stall close to the auctions floor for the health and safety of vendors."
Housing and community services officer, Mrs Letwin Watambwa, said Mvurwi Town had grown from one suburb, Suoguru, with a population of 2 000 in the year 2000, to several suburbs and a population of 20 000.
"This town is growing fast and our wish is to attain municipality status. We employed an engineer and a town planner and this will enable us to take over the water supply from Zinwa," she said.
"We are inviting investors to come here because we have the land.
"Value addition is the way to go and we want to see such plants being established here."
