This year maybe in its infancy but the Lusaka Avocado Multipurpose Cooperative Society (LAMCS) is already counting its landmark achievements scored in the first 15 days of January, 2025.
Chief among the landmark achievements is the invitation to participate in the MACFRUIT Expo to be held in Rimini, Italy from May 4 to 9, 2025.
“LAMCS on 10th January 2025 was selected by the Italian Trade Agency to participate in the MACFRUIT Trade Expo to be held in Rimini from the 4th to 9th May 2025.
The Expo brings together key players (exporters, importers, policy makers, experts in logistics, financiers and equipment suppliers) in the fresh vegetables and fruit sector in the global market,” a LAMCS statement said.
The statement further said 2025 will be the third time that LAMCS will have participated in the Expo. “LAMCS is boundlessly grateful to the Italian Trade Agency for giving it an opportunity to participate in the 2025 MACFRUIT Trade Expo,” the statement read.
LAMCS has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CAMCO Pan African Business Consulting (Beijing) Company Limited.
The MoU with the company based in China was signed on January 14, 2025 and the two parties have agreed to collaborate in securing export markets in China for the Zambian produced avocados and its value added products.
According to the MoU, CAMCO Pan Africa Business Consulting (Beijing) Co. Ltd will guide LAMCS through all the protocols [(phytosanitary requirements) that are to be fulfilled in order to secure licenses and permits for export of avocados and its value added products into China.
LAMCS also received positive feedback on the concept note that it had submitted to the National Designated Authority (NDA) under the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment on January 15, 2025.
LAMCS had proposed a project aimed at Initiating Climate Mitigation Measures through Agro Forest and the Promotion of Tree Crops.
The NDA has commended the efforts that LAMCS has made in promoting avocado tree planting. Through its review process, the NDA considered the Concept Note that LAMCS submitted to be good. The NDA will now engage LAMCS Project Design Team so that it may provide further technical guidance on how to prepare the Project Proposal that shall meet the requirements at both national level and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) standards.
LAMCS is seeking climate funds in order to promote the commercial cultivation of avocados by its members and out-grower scheme participants.
Through this initiative, LAMCS is committed to promoting long term capacity building for climate -resilient agriculture for all its members involved in avocado farming.
By Benedict Tembo
Sounds good. I hope they can also secure a value-addition deal for processing companies therefrom to come and setup shop in Zambia.
Speak to the AVO growers both large and small which are many around the country
they are painting a completely different picture in this highly strict and competitive market