Vice Republican President Inonge Wina has disclosed that a Chinese company has invested about 10 million dollars to support Cassava growers and aggregators as government works towards making Cassava the driver of the agriculture sector.
Mrs. Wina says her office has over 93 resettlement schemes covering over 800,000 hectares of land countrywide to be repositioned for Cassava, Honey and Livestock Production.
She says Zhonghai international Company Limited has agreed to partner with Aggregators in the resettlement schemes.
Mrs. Wina says this therefore shows the need to Expand the market adding that Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo should the be the next targets for Cassava exports as they have high consumption rates of the commodity and Maize.
The Vice President was speaking what she commissioned the over 9 million US Dollar Ethanol Processing Plant in Chibombo District, Central Province today.
She says the establishment of the plant will enable the use of Cassava to support power generation and contribute greatly to mitigating the energy challenge that the country is facing.
“Cassava will support power generation for this plant and the ethanol which will be produced is earmarked for blending with oil products in order to contribute to the reduction of fuel imports for the energy and transport sectors. as a country, we have continued to grapple with the non-availability of adequate energy which has slowed down our economic development agenda. it is my belief that this plant will greatly contribute to mitigating this energy challenge.” She states.
The Vice President Adds that “my tour of this plant has given me a new perspective and understanding of the commercial and industrial value of cassava which we can only neglect at our own peril. let me take this opportunity to urge farmers country-wide to take cassava farming as a business and as a means to wealth creation.”
Speaking at the same event, Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo has noted the need to identify viable farmers to be engaged in out grower Schemes.
And Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie says Zambia obtained direct Chinese Investments amounting to 327 million dollars in 2018.
Mr. Jie says the country ranked second among the African countries benefiting from direct Investments from China with Kenya being first and Uganda third.
$9m Ethanol Processing Plant to promote Cassava Production
