Premiercon Chief Executive Officer – CEO Lubasi Yuyi has disclosed to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT in an exclusive interview that the starch company has so far attracted about 7400 farmers spread accross Northern Western, Copperbelt, Central, Western and Luapula Provinces to be engaged in supplying Cassava and sweet potatoes for starch extraction.
The company has set up a 70ton Per Day State of the Art Starch Plant in Kalumbila district of North-western Province. He stated that 6 hectares since been identified for cultivation of certified feedstock to be distributed to all communities and that the company will be buying the feed from. “The starch to be produced will be used in the pharmaceuticals for producing medicine, food processing industry and the production of custard and other food related products while the peals from cassava will be used for green charcoal,” he said.
Yuyi further said Premiercon in conjunction with CEC group has since trained about 6,000 farmers to be put on board for the next season which will be starting in the next two months. He confirmed that Premiercon Starch Company Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Copperbelt Energy Corporation – CEC for the supply of feedstock to be used for production of starch to be then supplied to FQM’s Kalumbila mine as a copper processing input.
The two-year MOU is designed to guarantee a market for the produce as well as the provision of technical support to the farmers for improved crop yields. The feedstock will be produced using cassava and sweet potatoes grown by Women’s Club supported by CEC in Mwinilunga district of North western province.
On challenges faced, Yuyi told ZBT that inadequate farm infrastructures remains a key challenge in farming, hence has called on government and other partners to pay attention to this critical issue as it does not only affect farmers but the industry at large.
He is hopeful that the sustainability of the project is assured because Mwinilunga district has good climate conditions which support cassava and sweet potato production. Cassava has been grown as a traditional crop but had previously suffered from limited industrial use which is now improving.
