By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
NORTHERN Province Cooperative Marketing Union(NPCMU) has started mobilising resources to buy soya beans as it seeks to expand stock feed production.
The 2016/2017 has seen a drastic increase in soya beans production which has resulted in prices of the oil and protein rich crop reduce by more than 50 per cent.
NPCMU mills manager Frazer Machaya said in view of increased soya production and planned stock feed production has prompted the cooperative to seek for capital.
“Were seriously looking at buying more soya beans this marketing season because we plan to increase production of stock feeds,” Mr Machaya said.
He said this in an interview at the ongoing Zambia International Trade Fair (ZIFF) at the weekend.
Mr Machaya said three years ago the cooperative obtained K750,000 from the Citizen Economic Empowerment(CEEC) which saw the establishment of a milling plant.
“We are currently producing four tonnes of meal per day which we hope to increase to significant figures probably doubling that to eight tonnes per day,” he said.
Mr Machaya said the cooperative is also considering buying rice mainly to get rice bran for stock feeds while selling rice which would boost the cooperative’s resource base.
