Kansanshi Mining plc has embarked on a bio-diesel project planting jatropha trees to reduce poverty among people living in the mining peripheral.
Kansanshi Mining plc Environmental Manager, Richard Zyambo disclosed during the stakeholders meeting held at Floriana Lodge in Solwezi today.
Mr. Zyambo said the company has purchased 8000 jatropha seeds to be planted by peasant farmers in the mining areas.
He said the project has also been extended to out grower schemes to the surrounding communities of Kabwela and Mushitala.
He disclsoed that last season , 100,000 trees were planted in the mining plantation.
Mr. Zyambo however said the company could not achieve the outgrower target of 200,000 trees due to lack of commitment by the farmers who could not utilize the seeds which they got.
He urged farmers living in areas that are either disturbed by water logging or charcoal burning to take keen interest in growing jatropha plants as this will enable them generate income and shift their attention from charcoal burning.
He added that the company is in the process of revamping the bee keeping project to assist the farmers.
Mr. Zyambo said jatropha is a source of energy which has less environmental impact hence the need for all stakeholders to support the project and safeguard the environment.
Meanwhile, Chief Mumena expressed concern at the growing number of illegal chacoal burning in the district a situation he described as worrying as it is depleting the environment.
ZABNIS EC/MM/SC/MK/ENDS
Mr Zyambo i wish to say that in the process of seemingly trying to reduce poverty among our communities we also need to exercise caution over certain decision we take. Income generation ventures are welcome but we should and must remember that what our people need is food and not how popular some ideas may be or may be perceived. As an Environmental Engineer you have to definitely understand this, so be professional in your duties. We do not want to see unsustainable project when we fully no know for facts that they are not anywhere near sustainability. Our people need to be helped areas of food production and not in areas of flowery ideas which have not yet been put to test.
#1, you are rite on the spot. Some of these technologies or scientific advancements are just on paper and in reality, very few automobiles will run on bio diesel. We need more food and the more food we grow, the better as this will highly boost our food security. What the world needs now is food security not fuel security. We still have hundreds of years before the fossil fuels run out and what we just need to do is know how to curb pollution especially carbon dioxde.
#2 NO ONE BUT YOU. You certainly do not know what you are talking about. Brazil has reduced its crude oil consumption by 50 per cent. Germany by 20 per cent, the USA by 2.5 per cent. They are all doing this through bio-diesel. Brazil mostly uses sugar cane, USA a combination of soy oil and corn (Maize) and Germany uses Rape seed oil.
what is needed is food. our immediate problem in zambia is hunger. we must not cheat each other. we need technologies which first address our primary concerns before looking at inherited problems. imagine how much food seed and fertilizers can be bought in the money. we africans need to move away from european metality of solving problem and look at issues from our african point of view.
Mbulawa, #2 & #1 are right! The statistics you quote may be so, but at what expense? It has been at the expense of Food production hectarage. This is what has compounded the food price increases in the midst of the current economic downturn. Food prices are actually the least of concerns, the most, is the actual food supply reserve the world over, more so the staples, in Asia, rice prices are on the rise becoz of a reduced supply. Before embarking on devoting more hectarage on this,(this is wishful thinking) we should secure reasonable if not surplus food hectarage; I do realise that the love for oil/biofuels will probably take precedence becoz returns will be too much to ignore or resist!
Commendable work by Kansanshi mines, what our people need is money to better their lives.There is still plenty of un-utilized land in Zambia which govt can help create farming blocks. Organizations helping communities that are destroying the environment through charcoal burning by changing this practice into some good ventures of bio fuel generations need commendation.Even in light of the power deficit this a good especially for these rural communities which most of are not on the national grid. They might as well generate their own using bio fuels & Zesco is running a pilot project which can benefit from this raw material. Lets think out side the box for a while . . .this is great news!!
Like 2#,all that the pipo of Zambia need is food man.I am very sure that you are well aware that zambia has some oil deposites in the same province and nothing has been done due to the government incapacity develop it.Where is the government going to get the money to help poor zambians to produce your so called bio-diesel?Be real my fellow zambian!