CEEC approves 22 cassava value chain projects worth K3 million for financing

THE Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has approved 22 cassava value chain projects worth K3 million for financing in four provinces of the country.

CEEC public relations and communications manager Mercy Khozi-Mwila said the projects, which form part of Government’s Industrialization and Job Creation Strstegy, included the production of cassava flour, paper glue, gari, cosmetics, stock feed, charcoal briquettes and marketing of cassava.

Ms Khozi-Mwila said the three provinces included Copperbelt, Lusaka, Northern and North-Western.

This is contained in a statement released in Lusaka.

“The commission has approved 22 cassava value chain projects worth K3 million for financing.

“The projects, which form part of Government’s Industrialization and Job Creation Strategy, include the production of cassava flour, paper glue, gari, cosmetics, stock feed, charcoal briquettes and marketing of cassava,” she said.

Ms Khozi-Mwila said of the 22 projects, 41 per cent belonged to women while 38 per cent were for youths and 21per cent were for men.

She said these projects fell under the Cassava Commercialisation component of the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Project Supporting Women and Youths (SDEP-SWY), which was financed by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) to implement the commercialization of cassava at a cost of US$6 million.

The AfDB supported Project, SDEP-SWY, has a total of US$30 Million, which also targets to construct 10 Industrial Yards and provide support to Cassava Value Chain development in target districts of Mansa in Luapula Province, Kasama in Northern Province and Solwezi in Northwestern Province, with market development interventions extending to Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces as well.