The Industrial Development Corporation is this year expected to invest $4 million in a pineapple processing plant in Mwinilunga district in North – Western Province.
IDC Group Chief Executive Officer Mr Mateyo Kaluba said this follows successful feasibility studies conducted in the area and subsequent approval by the IDC board of directors to invest into the pineapple sector.
Mr Kaluba said he was confident that the project was a viable business to invest in, having learnt from mistakes made in the past.
“We are aware that pineapples are seasonal, so the idea is to invest in a multi- fruit processing plant that will add value to other fruits that can grow in the area,” he said.
The three metric tonnes per day capacity plant will provide a ready market for the more than 3,000 farmers who will be incorporated in the initial outgrower scheme in Mwinilunga, Lumwana West and Ikelenge districts.
The plant will result in the creation of 100 permanent jobs and 8, 000 indirect jobs.
Mr Kaluba was speaking when he paid a courtesy call on North-Western Province Permanent Secretary Mr Ephraim Mateyo in Solwezi today.
In response, Mr Mateyo commended the IDC for taking heed of President Edgar Lungu’s call to take investment to the people.
He said that he welcomes the investment plans of the IDC in the province, as the ultimate beneficiaries are the local people through job creation and economic empowerment.
Mr Kaluba is in North Western Province to discuss the project with provincial and local government authorities.
This is according to a statement issued by IDC Public Relations Manager Namakau Mukelabai.
Another White Elephant…
This is more progressive than an Airline .. I give a thumbs up on this one. My advice is aim to make it highly commercial and competitive with impeccable governance structures and processes with a goal of listing on the stock market.
this shows how it all went wrong with the BRILLIANT ideas KK initially had, this is resurrecting of the seeds of promising times lost…QZ, TAZARA,ZAFFICO,INDECO…pity really – we’d be world-brand today!! OK, let’s get it RIGHT this time, no politicking, government should let the technocrats do their work – pamberi ne Zambia !!!
KK used to crest such companies, at the same time killing them!!If KK was economically focused, this country could have surpassed some countries around us!!He came up with cooperatives,but neglected them later.Cooperatives is the best conduit to empower the poor?!
WELL DONE IDC, we have waited for 30 Years for so called Private Sector Investors to take development to rural areas!! The only investment we see is in extractive mining sector which does not contribute to our economy as much as it did in the past!! PLEASE EXAMINE THE POSSIBLE LABOUR-INTENSIVE INDUSTRIES AND THEIR SUITABILITY (IN TERMS OF POVERTY REDUCTION AND VIABILITY) FOR EACH PROVINCE AND ESTABLISH THEM TO RE-INDUSTRIALIZE ZAMBIA! Wherever possible seek international partnerships for technology transfer and creation of Export Markets! Why should we be importing huge volumes of guava,mango,pineapple, orange juices, tomato paste fro drier countries when we can easily produce them!?
Where is this money coming from because we know government is broke.
WHAT IS ZCCM MAN DOING WITH IDC BOSS IN THE PICTURE? THE MAN IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE STORY
Let’s roll Hatribes will LOSE HAGAIN.
Support me also IDC team I want I plant for oil Extracting machine for sunflower/groundnuts and Soya I will have more than 40 permanent workers and 200 agents. I need an injection fro any serious organization to come on board. Land for crop and for the plant is already identified