The K160 million Katete Tropical Fruit processing plant is set to start operations in May this year.
Katete District Commissioner (DC), Joseph Makukula has disclosed today that the fruit plant, expected to create 200 jobs, will be commissioned in the next two months.
Mr Makukula said that the machinery for the fruit processing plant is already on the ship and expected to be delivered in Katete by mid-April together with other necessary in readiness for installation.
“The equipment is already on the ship. We are using Indian-made machines that are multi-purpose, so they will be coming through the Mozambique port. So by mid-April, all the equipment will be in Katete for immediate installation,” he said.
The District Commissioner said that the fruit processing plant was initially supposed to be commissioned in October 2020, but the COVID 19 situation somehow held back the project.
He explained that the lockdowns in other countries where expertise and machinery were coming from resulted in the delay of the completion and commissioning of the processing plant.
Despite these Challenges, Mr Makukula assured the public that things are now back on course and that the plant is set to be commissioned by May 2021.
The Katete Fruit Processing plant is being developed under the investment portfolio of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).
Mr Makukula disclosed that the recruitment phase for 70 workers for the fruit processing plant has since commenced, adding that priority is being given to the people of Katete unless the technical personnel that may not be available within the district.
The District Commissioner appealed to the public that had the qualifications, positive attitude, and willingness to work, to apply for the jobs openings in the fruit processing venture.
Meanwhile, in less than 14 hours of the said job adverts on job advertising platforms like Go-Zambia jobs, several Katete residents flocked to the DC’s office to drop their application letters for the said jobs.
I understand that it’s a mango juice plant. I hope they’ve kept enough fruit in refrigeration because mango is out of season now in Zambia. All the best at this new attempt at low-tech industrialisation.