Zambia-Sino market links aimed at local manufacturers’

By Derrick Silimina

Vice-President Inonge Wina says Government has opened up market linkages in China in a bid to stimulate local manufacturing industries.

Speaking on the side-lines of the 93rd Agricultural and Commercial Show in Lusaka under the theme Embracing Industrial Development, Ms Wina said creating market linkages through activities such as the annual show was vital to help grow the local industries.

It was for this reason Government was creating an environment conducive to the emergence of small sector producers, manufacturers and industrialists.

“We have opened up market linkages in China to scale up local producers in the areas of farming such as those involved in producing cooking oil, edible oils find markets not only in Zambia but also into the surrounding countries.”

The vice-president also stressed that value addition among small farmers was key to enhance industrialisation in the country in order to spur economic development, adding that local manufacturing industries ought to actualise the potential existing in the country.

“We have the potential but we have to actualise this potential as Zambians because we can’t have to talk about this potential year in year out. I hope this exchange of knowledge and ideas will help us understand the dimensions of industrial development.”

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo echoed the vice-president’s remarks and stated that Smart Agriculture and value addition are components that farmers ought to be empowered with through affordable mechanism.

“Value addition and Smart Agriculture are the key components that our farmers are supposed to be empowered with through mechanised equipment that are affordable.”

Mr Katambo said to enhance production and productivity, farmers needed proper equipment to become part of industrialisation.

“This theme suits us very well because if our farmers are adding value to the crop commodities or even to livestock or fisheries, then we will be creating employment and uplifting livelihoods of our people and then our citizens will be generating income out of the whole process of value addition,” he said. – Courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.