Maravi

Freshmot invests K100m in pineapple outgrower scheme

Freshmot invests K100m in pineapple outgrower scheme
By Kabanda Chulu
Monday March 24, 2008 [11:00]

FRESHMOT Zambia has invested K100 million for the development of a pineapple out grower scheme in Mwinilunga that will involve over 1,000 small-scale farmers. Company managing director Moses Tamele said Freshmot is currently negotiating with a South African firm to set up a joint venture to revive the pineapple industry in the district. Tamele explained the venture was part of the preparations for the revival of the Mwinilunga pineapple processing factory.

“The main objective at this stage is to ensure that the proposed fruit processing plant has sufficient raw materials for processing into a wide range of pineapple products and Freshmot plans to identify potential out grower farmers in the North Western and as well as the Copperbelt provinces,” he said.

He said that hundreds of tonnes of pineapples go to waste every year in the country due to difficult marketing conditions and the absence of any fruit processing facilities.

The Mwinilunga pineapple project was established in the early 1970s by the Kaunda government in an attempt to bring development to the North Western Province.

However, the factory could not survive the harsh liberalised economic environment after government stopped funding and earmarked it for privatisation.

Labels: CONTRACT FARMING, FRESHMOT ZAMBIA, PINEAPPLE

posted by MrK @ 6:25 PM