Zimbabwe Fisheries Cooperative Receives Refrigerat...

Zimbabwe Fisheries Cooperative Receives Refrigerated Truck in SADC's PROFISHBLUE Project

Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change of the Republic of Malawi, Honourable Dr Owen Chomanika and the SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Ms. Angele Makombo N’Tumba handing over the refrigerated truck in Lilongwe, Malawi on 20th March, 2025

Zim Now Reporter

The Zimbabwe Fish Producers Association has received a refrigerated truck as part of the Southern African Development Community Programme for Improving Fisheries Governance and Blue Economy Trade Corridors (PROFISHBLUE Project).

This was announced in a SADC communique.

The other SMEs receiving trucks are the National Network of Women in Fisheries in Madagascar, Twiyule Fish Farmers’ Cooperative from Malawi, Associaçǎo De Processadores de Peixe Fresco de Tebone from Mozambique, Bukasiga Fishing Cooperative Society Limited from Tanzania, and African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network (AWFISHNET), Zambia Chapter.

The handover ceremony took place in Lilongwe, Malawi, on 20th March 2025. The six Small and Medium Enterprises from six SADC Member States, including Zimbabwe, were competitively selected to receive refrigerated trucks.

The handover ceremony was presided over by Malawi's Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Honourable Dr Owen Chomanika, and the SADC Deputy Executive Secretary for Regional Integration, Ms. Angele Makombo N’Tumba.

The aim is to support women and youth SMEs in improving the quality of fish and reducing post-harvest losses in the fisheries sector.

The refrigerated trucks are expected to help reduce post-harvest losses, contribute to food and nutrition security, create employment, and reduce poverty.

The PROFISHBLUE Project, funded by the African Development Bank, aims to promote sustainable management of fisheries resources, improve food and nutritional security, create employment, facilitate intra-regional trade, and build adaptive capacity against climate change and other external shocks.

The project, which commenced in 2022, will conclude in 2025. The six SMEs underwent training on governance, finance, asset management, and post-harvest practices of fish and fishery products prior to the truck handover.

The training was held from 17th to 20th March 2025. The PROFISHBLUE Project partners with the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), WorldFish, and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) in implementing its initiatives.