President Edgar Lungu has launched the Cassava Outgrower scheme for the US$190m Sunbird Bioenergy refinery in Kawambwa district.
The company targets to engage 20-thousand farmers by 2021 spending about 20-million dollars on farmers annually.
President Lungu says the cassava processing plant will be a game changer for Kawambwa and the country as a whole as it will increase household income levels.
Launching the scheme in the Luena Farm Block today, President Lungu said cassava has historically been known to be food but expressed happiness that its unlimited potential is now being exploited in Zambia.
He pledged government’s support to value addition and private sector development.
The President further warned that he will not tolerate inertia among key government agencies with the mandate to facilitate private investments.
President Lungu also warned that he will not hesitate to part company with people failing to do their duties.
He also advised the Ministers to focus on working and not on who should be fired because time will come for those failing to work.
And the Head of State has advised farmers to be engaged by Sunbird to honour their promises and not Supply cassava to others while advising the company against exploitation.
He also commended the Luapula Province administration for attracting investments from the Expo while urging them to follow up on investment pledges.
And, Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo expressed happiness that Sunbird working with the Luapula Province administration has honoured President Lungu’s call in 2015 to develop an effective outgrower scheme that will benefit the masses.
He said the Ministry has this year gone flat out to promote cassava value chain as it has finalised cassava development strategy.
Mr Katambo noted that the scheme will benefit the masses and shame doomsayers.
He thanked the President for his leadership in promoting the agriculture sector through participating in farming fish, maize and now cassava.
Meanwhile, Sunbird Chief Executive Officer Richard Bennett said the project will supply about 120-million litres of biofuel annually which is about 10-percent of fuel being imported by Zambia annually.
He called on Kawambwa residents to register for the out-grower scheme to meet the company’s target of 7- hundred thousand tonnes of Cassava Annually.
Mr. Benette said his company will be providing farmers with seedlings and help with agriculture extension officers.
He said his company will start constructing the processing plant this year and set for launch next year with 1-thousand jobs targeted to be created.
Mr. Benette also noted that the company had quickly rolled out its operations owing to infrastructure development by government such as roads.
President Lungu has also been registered as the first honorary outgrower for his farm in Kawambwa where he also planted cassava cuttings.
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That is an average of $1000 per farmer annually. Perpetuating poverty! The rates must be very low!
I think its alright even if low for my people in Luapula. you must understand that these are the laziest people in Zambia and love to beg, (fortunately now not most corrupt as they have been overtaken by number of easterners in courts now) If anything can get them into commercial activities at even a low wage it can be changed later to a proper wage as long as they are mentally changed. My peoples policy has been growing for self consumption talk about goats cassava and maize. Thats all. So for me even if they are crooked on wages its all good. Lets start with mindset. Let get them commercialised.
Thanks
I hope that this is not another OIL FROM GRASS project!
You social scientist shut up.
Our working President. Well done your Excellency, another solid victory. Our critics will cry foul!!!
Edgar is talking about cassava as food, but the investors want to use cassava as a biofuel. Communication problems here, food or biofuels?
He just heard Chinese investors, Cassava and jumped hastily on the Gulf Jet without reading the brief.
A working and listening government. Nafuti nafuti proving them sadists wrong. Our agenda is to improve the lives of your people at any costs. His excellency is doing just that. Working day and night to ensure development in all corners of the country without fear or favour. We ask our friends in opposition to work with us to facilitate development. Long gone are the days of politicking over trivial things. Kz
How the mighty have fallen!!
Surely days are numbered!!!
Who knew you would be blogging and grovelling here for the attention of Lungu.
You need to understand that social media platforms are the only way to communicate with a large group of people within a short period of time in this day and age. Did you even know that some of us even have people that manage our social media platforms. Move with the times..its a global IT village we live in now. Even your relatives in rural areas now have access to social media. A true reflection of the progress we as pf have brought about
This moron is busy campaigning yet his ZP wont tolerate opposition even having a tea party. Are people going to eat Biofuels?
Kawambwa in the limelight.What has happened to tea in Kawambwa,Munushi banana scheme in Mununshi ,ice plant in Nchelenge and spark batteries in Mansa?The so called expo will never bring back the listed
They don’t want to promote those they would rather rush to foreign investors through IDC like that moron in the picture.
The current administration isinnovation dampening.
These people are experts in there field, make them part of your advisory board, not lecturing them and creating uncertainty.
Political parties come and goes but these businesses will be with us forever, and they need to be business.
“A business is an organization where people work together. In a business, people work to make and sell products or services. … A business can earn a profit for the products and services it offers. The word business comes from the word busy, and means doing things. It works on regular basis.”
PF you know when someone has a different point of view you do not tolerate that, look what happened to the ambassador Daniel Foote.
“President Lungu also warned that he will not hesitate to part company with people failing to do their duties.
He also advised the Ministers to focus on working and not on who should be fired because time will come for those failing to work.”
This man is clearly out of touch with reality.