Chitambo’s new cassava milling plant to grow district’s economy

WORKS at the $2.4 million cassava milling plant in Chitambo District have advanced and the plant is expected to accrue annual earnings of $1 million from the sale of feed and flour, district coordinating officer, Katumwa Mutandi, has disclosed. Mr Mutandi said the project’s major shareholder, Chitambo District Cooperative Unit (CDCU), would buy more than 40, 000 tonnes of cassava annually in an effort to support the cassava farming activities in the district and the country as a whole. He said the programme would also enhance profits for cassava farmers. Mr Mutandi said that 5, 000 farmers had so far been registered to supply cassava to the milling plant, a move which is expected to promote production of the crop in Zambia. Mr Mutandi was speaking shortly after Chitambo District Council chairperson, Laston Chibuye, toured the construction site . This is contained in a statement issued by Chitambo public relations officer, Nakubiana Shabongo, yesterday. The project is likely to be commissioned in October this year, a month after completing installation of the milling equipment. “The plant has a flour line of 2 tonnes per hour and feed line of 1 tonne per hour, annually we are looking at production of 40, 000 tonnes of cassava meal. Things are in place and we will finalize this September, we also have another facility which will ensure we are not emitting polluted air to the public,” Mr Mutandi said. Mr Chibuye expressed happiness that the Ministry of Agriculture was strengthening and expanding the out-grower schemes in the district to include several high value crops and create more jobs in the area. The chairperson said the country’s decision to diversify into high value crops, like Cassava, would help create more jobs in the country, especially in rural areas.