A Japanese firm, Kagome Company Limited has expressed interest to explore the possibility of investing in Zambia’s agro-processing sector.
Kagome Company Limited Manager for Planning and Management Division, Yasutaka Ohashi says his firm is one of the biggest food processing companies in Japan with an export market in Europe, America, Asia and Africa.
“Our company is engaged in all the lines of production from farming to agro-processing. We also provide farming support services with technical guidance and agricultural machines. Kagome is also involved in the production and sale of seedlings,” said Mr. Ohashi.
He added, “my company is aware and appreciates Zambia’s political stability and safety, water resource, suitable climate, and alienable land good for agriculture investment.”
He said this during a meeting he held with Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary for International Relations and Cooperation, Chalwe Lombe in Tokyo, Japan.
And Mr. Lombe said government will give Kagome Company Limited all the necessary support.
He assured the company that Zambia has favorable investment policies for agriculture that will enable the firm realise its benefits and return on investment.
Meanwhile Zambia’s Ambassador to Zambia, Ndiyoi Mutiti encouraged the company to seriously consider investing in Zambia because the country has a lot of agro-produce which the firm will be able to process and supply within the country and abroad.
Ambassador Mutiti said most agro-products in Zambia are consumed as fresh fruits and vegetables hence the need to process them in order to avoid wastage.
This is contained in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian embassy in Tokyo, Japan, Yotamu Mugara.
Let them partner with locals. Get their know-how, get their equipment and then send them out and start doing it ourselves.
I have seen the English website ..this company has been around for 100 years; Manufacture and sale of condiments, foods and beverages mainly Tomato based products. They purchase, manufacture and sale of seeds, seedlings, fruits and vegetables.
We need to move away from Chinese investors to more affluent investors. One affluent investor will be equal to to 20 of these Chinese investors we keep attracting. Our friends in Ethiopia were able to build a whole industrial park with close to a million jobs with affluent investors. The Chinese are just like us, making money from simple things like tomato, when others are investing in automobiles,and the latest science and technology initiatives.
Japanese are not Chinese
They can Partner with me. I have skills to grow Africa’s potential. We have Land to Develop in Barotseland. No foreigners from Eastern or Northen Zambia.
I just need capital to develop my private bussiness, after state sponsored banditry and extortionist by lawyers left me with nothing.