Montgomery Processors Calls on Farmers to Grow Michigan Pea Beans

By Regina Pasipanodya

A local food processing company based in Harare, Zimbabwe has called on farmers to consider cultivating Michigan pea beans amid the growing demand for this kind of beans in Zimbabwe.

In an interview recently during a media tour, the Procurement Manager, Michael Mugoni said Montgomery Processors has been facing challenges in terms of lack of supply considering that the supply of Michigan pea beans is very low locally.

“Local farmers are not well aware of how lucrative the market is for Michigan pea beans. Most of the beans that we process at our plant are imported because locally we get around 10% or less at times.”

“We need about 5000t of beans a year. This means that we have a problem of low supply. It seems that farmers are not aware of this business and yet it pays around US$1200 ” he said.

Mugoni said that they have been getting Michigan pea beans from farmers across the country but still, that is not enough to cater to their production.

Beans are one of the most traded crops in many African countries with Zimbabwe’s market dominated by tobacco.

Like all other trades, the bean market is driven by demand and supply forces.

Sugar bean and soya bean production has been more popular in the market with a good Return on Investment that is around $2 to $3 for every dollar invested in the crop.

According to Shop Zim Compass, as of January 2025, sugar beans cost in Zimbabwe is approximately US$ 20 per bucket translating to about US$ 800 per tonne.

Danchi farm owner, Daniel Chinyemba said farming is something that is often influenced by markets and as farmers, they often respond to the supply and demand forces.

“As you can see we have a variety of crops here from maize, beans and tobacco. What we do is move with time,” said Chinyemba.

He emphasized that as farmers information dissemination is important as it helps know what the market demands, how to access them and relate to them.

However, Montgomery Processors has become one of the leading food processing companies in Zimbabwe that is committed to innovation and customer satisfaction.

Last year the agro-processing company joined the continent’s trendsetters in technological innovations and introduced a cutting-edge technology for processing and packaging beans for domestic and export markets.

In an interview, Monty’s Managing Director, Mr Liam Philp said their company joined the continent’s trendsetters and introduced Tetra Recart, a cutting-edge technology for processing and packaging beans for domestic and export markets.

This new technology allows products that traditionally used to be sold in cans and bottles to be sterilized in cartons that offer shelf stability for up to 24 months.

“Tetra Recart technology is the very first in Africa and we are very proud to be the innovators to bring it to Zimbabwe. You will not get it anywhere else but here at Montgomery Processors. This technology makes us competitive on prices, brings sustainability to the whole value chain, makes logistics efficient and uses less energy in recycling,” said Mr Philp.

Founded in 2023, the company has been expanding its business from baked beans, sweet corn and processing of other tomato products.