Friday, March 29, 2024

Green Crop Field to pump $72 million in paprika production

Share

Central Province Permanent Secretary Chanda Kabwe
Central Province Permanent Secretary Chanda Kabwe

A Lusaka based company has expressed interest in investing US$72 million in Chibombo district of Central Province.

Central Province Permanent Secretary (PS), Chanda Kabwe, has confirmed the development in a press statement made available to ZANIS in Kabwe today.

Mr. Kabwe said Green Crop Field Investment Limited has announced plans to invest US$72 million in a Paprika Production and Processing Plant.

The plantation will sit on a 6, 000 hectares piece of land in Liteta chiefdom of Chibombo district.

He said the US$72 million is part of the US$432 million that the firm is planning to invest in more than 80, 000 hectares of land depending on availability across the country.

He said the Lusaka based private company intends to invest in growing Stevia and Marigold once the project receives government approval.

Mr. Kabwe added that the investment is one of the many inquiries the province has received after the Central Province investment forum and expo which was held in the last quarter of 2018.

The PS added that the project resonates well with the country’s Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) which is promoting private investment for economic development.

He described the US$72 investment inquiry as a demonstration of President Edgar Lungu’s visionary leadership which has created a conducive environment for investments.

“We are equally glad that Green Crop Field Investment Limited is coming in our province following a successful 2018 investment forum and expo which was aimed at unveiling investment opportunities in different sectors in the region,” he said.

He observed that if approved, the project would also bring other auxiliary benefits such as electricity and improved road infrastructure to the remote part of Chibombo district.

Mr. Kabwe further stated that the provincial administration has since recommended the land earmarked for the project for Land Area Development Plan (LADP) and Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) in line with Section 21 of the Urban and Regional Planning Act of 2015.

He stressed that the SEIA is inevitable because the proposed land is part of the local farmers’ grazing land.

He expressed confidence that the Paprika Production and Processing Plant has the potential to significantly improve the household income of the local people and contribute to the economic development of the district as a whole.

8 COMMENTS

  1. 2000 hectres, oh my foot!! These projects are conduits to get prime land.
    Just look at the multi-economic zone hectres of land that was given to tu ma Chinese from Mufurila turn-off to Chambeshi. They promised to even manufacture cell-phones. Today when u pass there, the Chinese sell roasted maize cobs, ARV-fed chickens to motorists.

    • 6000 hectares. You are right it’s a ploy used by most investors to get prime land. I hope the locals will have land left for grazing cattle, goats and for other agricultural purposes if govt approves. If you’ve noticed indigenous people are slowly being displaced in the name of development. We forget that it’s land that gives us an identity.

    • I remember ciseya seya eating ka mango saying we can grow our own mango and not import the mangos from South Africa .How many mangos has he planted so far ? Maybe has at his mansion in Swaziland .

  2. They grab land in the name of investment
    and subdivide and sell to make profit and
    Keep a small potion as show piece.

  3. “….A Lusaka based company has expressed interest in investing US$72 million in Chibombo ….”

    The key word here is interest……if a country was developed through interests, Zambia would be a G7 country.

    LT can we have solid news not these
    ” intrests” ” intentions” and ” near future” projects…..

  4. LOCALS DO NOT NEED LAND AS THEY KEEP IT IDLE AND OVERGROWN WITH GRASS HENCE USED AS A PLACE FOR KUNYENGA BAKAZI OKOLEWA BUT GOVT. SHOULD HVE GIVEN 2000HA TO YAKANDA ONE PROJECT THAT MUGABE OFFERED 2000HA AND ZAMBIA ONY 320 HA. WHO ARE THE OWNERS OF THIS GREEN FIELD, SOURCE OF FUNDS PLEASE IWE KA CHANDA DO A DUE DILIGENCE FIRST ON THESE SO CALLED INVESTORS CONFIRM FUNDS AVAILABILITY

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading