National Foods Ltd., the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed agri-business company, has said that it will next month close its Bulawayo stock feed factory due to a short supply of inputs.

The Herald newspaper quoted National Foods group human resources and corporate affairs director, Dean Chikukwa, saying the company is “placing its stock feeds in Bulawayo plant on a care and maintenance basis with effect from November 1, 2010”.

The earlier closure of the firm’s Bulawayo flour milling plant has led to difficulties in finding alternative sources of raw materials, especially wheat bran, a key input for stock feed production. Activities at the flour milling plant have been suspended due to operational, logistical and capital constraints.

Chikukwa, said the company will, however, continue supplying its full range of stock feed in the southern region of Zimbabwe from its Harare plant.

He added that National Foods would consider re-opening the Bulawayo plant in the future when the supply of raw materials improves.