. President Lungu

By MAYA NTANDA  –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has commissioned the US$120 million Soya bean crushing plant in Ndola on the Copperbelt with emphasis on the need for value addition to agricultural products.
Mr Lungu said the promotion of value addition promotes industrialisation and was a sure way to grow the country’s economy.
Speaking during the commission at the Global Industries plant in the industrial area of Ndola yesterday, Mr Lungu said the development brought to reality his continued call for enhanced value addition.
He said in the pursuit of achieving sustainable development in all the sectors of the economy, there was need more companies both local and foreign, to exploit the yawning market for value addition projects.
Mr Lungu said other private sector companies should emulate Global Industries limited to take advantage of the prevailing conducive economic environment to set up companies for value addition of raw materials especially agricultural products.
“We are confident that through industrialisation and value addition to raw materials, wealth and employment will be created for our women and youth who constitute a large part of the country’s population,” he said.
The President said the Government would continue to support initiatives in the processing of raw agriculture crops and that the country has a broad spectrum of agricultural crops such as soya beans, cassava, millet, wheat, among others.
The plant produces about 160 metric tonnes per day of crude edible oil that was then refined into 152 metric tonnes of refined edible oil.
Mr Lungu said business linkages with animal feed producing companies had now been created.
“I am particularly delighted to note that the company sources more than 90 percent of its major raw materials, mainly soya bean, from local farmers on the Copperbelt. This empowers our people and enables them to sustain their livelihoods,” he said.
Global Industries Limited chief executive officer Malolan Sampath said his company was the largest single site agro processing investment in the country with a total investment of $120 million.
Mr Sampath said the plant was the most sophisticated soya bean crushing plant in Africa and therefore it was only apt that the Head of State be the person to commission it.
He said the company has provided employment to 400 Zambians directly, 250 casual employees daily, 150 contract staff, thereby impacting directly the lives of 800 Zambians.
Agriculture Minister Michael Katambo said the plant showed that the diversification agenda was taking root through value addition.
Mr Katambo said soya production had increased from 50,000 tonnes 10 years ago to more than 300,000 tonnes per year providing adequate edible oil.
Copperbelt Minister Japhen Mwakalombe said just like the 7NDP had envisaged with industrialisation being one of the key pillars.
He said the Copperbelt was planning to hold an industrial expo to further attract investment.