Barley used for brewing clear beer in Zambia has generally been bought from larger commercial farmers or even imported from overseas.
Zambian Breweries has recently partnered with the community of Chanyanya in supporting growth of barley by small-scale farmers.
The growing and harvesting of the barley was gathered under a local sourcing partnership between Zambia Breweries and small-scale farmers in Chanyanya.
Under the partnership initiative, local small-scale farmers have agreed to lease about 148 acres of their own land to Zambian Breweries on which barley was grown.
The company pays for land use and the initiative is expected to run for many years to come., The initiative has not only provided employment for the local community but has contributed to the improvement of livelihood of farmers in the area while helping to secure a reliable supply of quality barley for Zambian Breweries.
This investment by Zambian Breweries has already proved its worth to nearly 126 local farmers and people in surrounding areas.
“The benefits are enormous; after harvesting this as a co-operative, we have been able to have electricity provided in our schools, we have been able to build infrastructure such as the clinics, and the roads have also been improved as a result of this investment,” said Mark Nyamusunga, chairperson of Chanyanya Smallholders Co-operative Society.
Zambian Breweries used to import barley from Europe and South Africa which resulted in revenue loss to the country, and with the first local harvest in Chanyanya, the company is likely to contribute more to the country’s treasury. In addition, the growing and harvesting of barley locally has now reinforced the company’s long desire to reduce imports and promote creation of local jobs.
For Zambian Breweries, the harvest of barley is also timely as it has come when their newly-constructed malting plant at the South Multi Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) in Lusaka has been commissioned. The site is expected to handle an annual capacity of about 18,000 tonnes of processed barley. The malting plant has added value to farming of barley with the first grain delivered for storage in the ten massive 1,500-tonne silos, each 32 metres high. The company’s multi-million dollar investment malting plant at South MFEZ in Lusaka now receiving the first barley from Chanyanya is part of Zambian Breweries’ wider commitment and long-term investment of supporting farming in Zambia.
This is commendable. Big up to Zambia Breweries and the Chanyana Coop. I’ll now enjoy my beer just that bit more because of this.
@Ba Folosho
Its said that we should be excited at such a small thing 50 years after independence. Zambia can achieve much more than this if we
1. We do not elect drunk presidents from a compound
2. corruption in every conner
3. turning politics into a livelihood
4. corrupt judiciary
If you think this is an achievement, such projects happens on a daily basis in so many countries and don’t make the front page of a national newspaper. But i do understand your excitement, for a country which does not even have public toilets
Here is the first real youth empowerment in form of cooperative organization design, and next is the cashew nut valley in Mongu.
What else can be made from barley apart from tht clear beer. Anyway I remember last Christmas there was a shortage of beer especially castle lager. Now with tht bumper harvest of barley I don’t expect shortages of beer perhaps Christmas accidents as well. Thumps up ZamBrews.
EVEN HAVING BEEN LIVING AND MAYBE STILL IN THE USA YOU STILL DON’T KNOW WHAT BARLEY CAN GIVE YOU? BARLEY IS A CEREAL AND THEREFORE CAN GIVE YOU CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST AND MANY MORE PRODUCTS DEPENDING ON HOW YOU WANT TO PROCESS IT. IT CAN ALSO GIVE YOU STOKEFEED. COMING BACK TO THE PROJECT (LEAVING AN EMPTY CASE US MIGRANT), I CAN SAY THIS IS A VERY VIABLE FOOD/DRINK PROCESSING PROJECT WHICH IS GOING TO DIRECTLY/INDIRECTLY GIVE JOBS TO MANY PEOPLE. THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED NUMBER OF FARMERS TO PRODUCE BARLEY AND FEED INTO THE FACTORY, SUPPLIERS OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND DIRECT EMPLOYEES OF THE COMPANY. FARMERS WILL ALSO NEED FARM WORKERS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. WELL DONE ZAMBIA BREWERIES.
Zambia breweries of South Africa
Zambia breweries of South Africa
I am not surprised by the negative comments by some people on this great investment by Zambian Breweries. The bible says “Jesus healed 10 lepers in one day and only one remained to thank him” This is testimony that there are more who do not appreciate or do not have the words “thank you”in their vocabulary.