PPC To Set Up Plant In Botswana
Monday, March 01, 2010
PPC Cement Botswana General Manager Werner De Beer said this at the launch of the competition 'Botswana's number one builder' at the Cresta lodge in Gaborone last week. According to De Beer, the company is exploring cement grade limestone in the country and if they are satisfied with the deposit of the limestone, they will establish a cement manufacturing plant locally. The company currently has eight manufacturing plants and three milling depots in South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Botswana is the second largest consumer of cement in the region after South Africa and according to De Beer, they have always been committed to supplying cement to the ever-growing local construction industry. He said they made a commitment with the then Minister of Works and Transport Frank Ramsden that they would supply Botswana with cement and they will honour their commitment to serve the country. De Beer said the past few years have been difficult for most Southern African countries as the demand for cement increased sharply in South Africa due to the upcoming soccer world cup in that country, but Botswana never experienced any difficulties because of the commitment they made. " As demand grew sharply in South Africa, other importers were awarded quartets of the amount they wanted, but that was never the case with Botswana," he said.
The Ministry of Agriculture, local producers, retailers, and industry associations must work together to overcome the obstacles hindering vegetable production and distribution.This collaborative approach is essential to improve the availability, quality, and affordability of vegetables in the market.Firstly, the Ministry of Agriculture should provide support and guidance to local farmers to enhance their productivity and efficiency. This could...