The Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF) says 225 solar milling plants have so far been installed country-wide.
ZCF Business Development Officers Kelvin Simwendo said an additional 25 solar milling plants will be installed before the end of this year to bring the number to 250.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr. Simwendo said only 175 solar milling plants are operating and producing mealie-meal at a cheaper cost.
Mr Simwendo said that out of the 2,000 solar milling plants that were procured from China by government at a cost of US$200 million only 250 solar milling plants have arrived in Zambia.
He explained that 104 solar milling plants were installed in Northern Province, Eastern 97, Lusaka 12, Southern has six, and Central province has only two solar plants operating at full capacity.
Mr. Simwendo said that the solar milling plants have created 3,000 job opportunities among the youths in the country.
“The milling plants have helped to create jobs for the youths and my plea to the young people is to safeguard the mills as their own assets because they are making a difference in their livelihoods” said Mr Simwendo.
Meanwhile Mr Simwendo has called on young people in the country to report any one vandalising the equipment to the police and other law enforcement officers.
Mr. Simwendo observed that the plants were bought at a huge cost hence the need to guard them against vandalism.
Comment:How many were installed in Northwestern province? why should northern province alone have 104? Is the cake being shared equally?
Ask UPND to instal them because that is the party you vote for chikkala cobe
F@ck you, iwe Chikanda chinkonko.
The truth really hates, ask these tribalists to request HH and UPND to install milling plants in their strongholds.
I have not just scratched your head but I have hit the hammer on your head. Will see this time, no more favours, enough is enough naba Tonga.
So they have paid for 2000 at a cost of 200 million US Dollars, but only 175 are working, making the working Mills cost about 1.25 million each! What a Joke….
And its a very simple…there are a lot of SME that manufacture electric hammermils in Zambia …all the Chinese are doing is adding the Solar Panel, Inverted and commercial batteries.
Does it mean Fat Albert has been shafted off the Milling business. Next take his Trucks off our Roads. Let him go and work at Hakashide’s Zambeef
You spend $200M importing mere hammer mils from China…225 out of 2000 hammermills and still more to come do you know how much employment this is creating in China? These selfsame people will be talking about value addition tomorrow when they are doing the complete opposite…
Very dull indeed…importing a mere hammer mill!!