Zimbabwean company Kefalos Cheese (Pvt) Ltd has been applauded by Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Aplonia Munzverengwi, for tapping into regional markets as well as creating employment for local people in the province.

Dr Munzverengwi recently toured the company's plant in Seke District and commended the firm's operations.

"We have seen a very big complex with various departments. They are producing cheese, yoghurt and other by products. Kefalos is one of the biggest companies in Mashonaland East. We have Kefalos, Proton Bakers in Marondera, apart from other big companies. Kefalos is indeed also contributing to our gross domestic product.

"The best thing that I have appreciated from Kefalos is that they have employed more than 300 locals. They are exporting their products to Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo and I am told some products are going to Botswana.

"We hope in the near future, they will be exporting to other countries like Malawi, Mozambique and maybe beyond Southern Africa. We hope they will go as far as that," she said. Before touring the plant, Dr Munzverengwi and her delegation were briefed about all the operations at the company as well as some of the challenges the business is facing.

"Apart from that, we are looking at their challenges that might also stop them from increasing their volumes. We have realised that we need to look at our dairy farmers around Seke and closer to Kefalos and from other districts. We are going to engage the Livestock Department and see how we can restock these farmers so that there will not be a shortage of milk at the company. We need also to have out growers that can also go into dairy farming and produce milk for Kefalos.

"We are happy as a province that Kefalos is one of our companies and they are doing well and I am urging our farmers within the province, those with good pastures, to venture into dairy farming so that they can also sell milk to Kefalos."