Friday, March 29, 2024

Saudis plan major pineapple project

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Kisasa area along Solwezi -Mwinilunga road in Solwezi district

SAUDI firm Menafea Holding intends to invest US$125 million in a 5,000-hectare farm in North-Western Province this year and in building 2,000 housing units in Lusaka South multi-facility economic zone (MFEZ).

 

The project is expected to create employment opportunities in Lusaka and Northw-Western Province and link up indigenous small-scale farmers to a ready market through outgrower schemes.

Menafea Holding board member Khaled Alrajhi said the company plans to invest the funds this year and will grow pineapples and build a factory to produce juice.

This is contained in the latest issue of the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) Spotlight publication availed to the Mail on March 1.

Mr Alrajhi said Menafea will build 2,000 housing units in the Lusaka South MFEZ under the same agreement, signed with Zambia’s investment promotion agency.

“We have been granted 5,000 hectares of land to grow pineapples using the latest technology and are going to put up a factory to produce juice for local consumption as well as export,” Mr Alrajhi said.

ZDA director for investment promotion and privatisation Muhabi Lungu said more Saudi investments were expected in Zambia.

Last December, Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said Zambia did not regard leasing farmland to foreign investors as a form of ‘colonialism’ and was encouraging countries from the Gulf to invest in its agricultural sector.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

27 COMMENTS

  1. This is the news that we want to hear. Foreign investments must be encouraged as long as these investors adhere to local labor and investment laws.
    The GRZ through ZDA must also encourage locals to invest in the local economy especially in long term investments through partnerships with foreign investors where practical.
    We also want to see Western Province harness the potential in cashew nuts,mango,fish farming, tourism,rice ETC through local and foreign involvement.
    The curriculum in our learning institutions must be re-structured and aligned towards entrepreneurship and business skills so that the future generation is geared to take up developmental challenges in this new global village.

  2. Hope there is no agreement with the MMD government to build a Mosque in Mwinilungu, as part of the agreement as Saudi Arabia sends money even in Europe to build more Mosques?

  3. We don’t want Islam in Mwinilunga. We will demolish any mosque there. But the business investiment is welcome.

  4. KK LEGACY IS FINALLY COMING…WE THANK GOD.
    KK WAS A VISIONARY… WE NEED TO RESUSTATE ZAMHORT,KAWAMBWA TEA, MANSA BATERIES,KAPIRI GLASS,ITT, LENCO, PHILIPS,LWANGWA INDUSTRIES AND MANY MORE…. THIS IS WHAT PROPELLS THE ECONOMY MONEY WISE AND SKILLS. OUR PEOPLE DESERVE NOT JUST JOBS BUT MULTSKILLS LIKE CHINA DID.
    cHINA CAN PRODUCE ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD FROM A NEEDLE TO A ROCKET mainly because the people are multskilled, they can open up businesses to produce these products we are consuming today. ZAMBIA CAN ALSO DO IT… WE NEED POLITICAL WILL, GOVT SUPPORT TO DEVELOP THIS .
    INSTEAD OF BICKERING WE SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING ON LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS ONE. FOREIGHNERS CAN SEE THIS OPPORTUNITY BUT ZAMBIANS ARE BUSY POLITICKING, BOOTLIKING AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
    WAKE UP ZAMBIA

  5. This is what happens when you have a government which invests in it’s citizens and not corrupt. The Saudi’s have enough money to even Invest in other Countries and not this Corrupt chaps in Zambia.

  6. I hope it goes ahead. That fruit has got good export potential and the zed pineapple is sweeter and nicer than these fong kongs we eating in foreign countries

  7. Much as we welcome foreign investors,Government should also promote Local pipo to invest in their country.Zambian banks have tight conditions towards obtaining loans while foreigners are treated very well.I want to hear a zambian owns KCM or NKANA mine,not what we are seing.Foreign mines are busy borrowing using our minerals as security like lumwana did.its a shame

  8. Good Investment || As I have preached and lead by example in the past. The rest is up to us Zambians to ascend up and make a difference. Zambia needs Home-Grown Entrepreneurs to develop.

  9. Well RB keeps being vindicated. When he went to Saudi Arabia, there was so much noise about him flying all the time and spending Tax Payers Money.

    It also be said that to every country that RB has flown to, there has been a Memorandum of Understanding or Trade Agreement.

    -Brazil is investing into the Mining Sector
    -Egypt is investing into Agriculture
    -China has been doing this for a while
    -D) USA also will invest into mining & Education
    -Saudi Arabia now will boost our Pine Apple Industry
    -South Africa is investing into Zambia
    -Libya has rescued ZAMTEL
    -Nigerians Business men are on the way to Zambia
    -Turkey is also coming with Investments into Zambia

    The list goes on and on…

  10. There is about to be 4 big foreign investment announcements from other countries which will make Zambia realise how fruitful these trips have been. However, we must not sit idle when all these business opprtunities are there next to our beaks & noses.

  11. 3# Dr Who

    Rise above inconsequential & petty talk. Christians & Moslems all pray to the same God. I am Christian and I know that the most respected woman in the Quran is Mary the Mother of Jesus. The Quran does recognise Jesus as a Prophet. I ask you to seek wisdom & knowledge. Don’t waste your energy trivial issues.

    This is about bringing development to a part of Zambia that has laged behind for years. I am not from that part of Zambia, but I am glad that N/Western Province is now booming.

    We have a lot Moslem & Hindus that have contributed to Zambia’s development.

  12. the call for zambian to own business in zambia is the direction to go. all these foreign investment should be opening doors for zambians to set up pararell companies and indeed many are doing so. whatever people can say RB can be a bad politician maybe even dengerously corrupt but his Administration has turned zambian econmy around on many front. he has our performed all his predecessors economically and zambian need to continue with these policies for the next 10 year and the country will never be the same again.

  13. #4 i hate to say it but KK’s vision was crap. if it was something we would not be in this mess.

  14. RB is indeed scoring points on the economic front. Looking at the going ons in UPND/PF PACT, He is now assured of many more votes.
    My only problem with RB is on governance issues. He needs to show that he is ready to change and bring sanity to governance issues e.g corruption fight, independence of the legislature and judiciary and better appointments to cabinet etc. I hope he will work on these issues in his second term.

  15. 13 Global citizaen
    KK had a good vision but implementation was not up to standard.
    The only former President who had no vision was FTJ

  16. #14 am with 100% but @15 no. a president is paid to see tomorrow from today. if he cant do that countries like zambia end up in a ditch. anyway i respect your views about him. i must RB is scoring hugh points on the economy now the are also opening a coffe company in northern province. this is just great for zambia.

  17. Why should Zambians only wait for other nations to invest in what Zambians are capable of doing,, Zambians have enough money to put up industry even the govt is

  18. We are still waiting for Gaddafi to weaken so that we too can freeze his assets and grab LAP Green. The Saudi Royal family may have a long way to go but who knows! The Swiss bank in Geneva never gives back the money that dictators invest in it even when their countries ask for it. So we should oloso grab some of these despots’ assets.

  19. 17 nshilimubemba

    Show us the money or a Zambian that can invest such kind of money. Or maybe lead by example

  20. #2 and #3 you are both very petty minded people to say such things
    May GOD forgive you both and repent before your pinapples are
    Squeeze.

  21. #2 and #3 you are both very petty minded people to say such things
    May GOD forgive you both and repent before your pinapples are
    Squeezed.

  22. #7 kaku

    President Banda frustrates all Zambians that does not agree with him like Derick Chitala, the man has tried to open a MEDIA station and other businesses but all these have been frustrated by President Banda and his MMD.

    Unless you are an MMD vuvuzela, then you can on condition of………………..

    How can local Zambian participate in Zambia’s economical development? This is sad indeed.

  23. #21 mosh,

    Which God? Right now you sounds like you are full of anger!!! Do i need forgiveness from you but on what grounds because you are not God?

    The person who is angry is you and not God whom you have never seen and you will never see in your life apart from speculations and imaginations if not hallucinations?

  24. Shaka wat shaka u r a real coward.u can not deal with real life.if u we’re
    To be the real shaka we could allbe in sa thank GOD my GOD.wat has pinapple
    Growin to do with religion.repent shaka repent.

  25. #24 mosh,

    Who should i repent to? If God can speak to me himself, then i can repent but not you?

    I have never seen God himself avenging, but i just see people killing innocent people in the same name of God. So if God was there he will kill himself and not the way we hear and see people with Mental issues being used to kill innocent people in the world!!

    Please stop your nonsense!!!! There is no God. If he exist, ask him to appear himself and complain.

  26. #25
    Sorry shaka 4give me I did not know u don’t believe in GOD am really
    Very sorry but hope you will find him sometime soon now u please
    4give me.

  27. What do the Arabs know about pineapple growing? Pineapples do not grow in the desert or does it? Is it just about money? What new technology are they introducing? What were the previous problems in this industry? I do not understand..

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