Mansa Chili Managing Director Robinson Mwansa told the Zambian Business Times – ZBT in an exclusive interview that the company in partnership with small scale farmers located in
the Northen Region of Zambia is committed to produce chili pepper in compliance to global standard.
Mwansa further disclosed that the company is currently on course in setting up a factory in Chembe district of Luapula province adding that the move will stimulate economic activity and is result in reduction of poverty levels in rural areas through job creation.
He further revealed that the chili production line equipment was purchased by Musika Development Initiative Ltd with grant funds provided by SIDA and UK Aid and that the installation date of the equipment by the manufactures in Chembe district will be communicated on a later date.
The Mansa Chili Managing Director further told ZBT that the company recently signed an agreement with Shoprite, the largest consumer retail supermarket in Zambia to engage Mansa Chili in its supply chain and that the retail store is willing to offer shelf space on conditions that the chili powder was of high quality and met food safety and hygiene standards, an objective which the company is working towards.
“In this vein, should our products succeed on the Zambian market, Shoprite Zambia is prepared to try our chili powder products in their retail outlets in other countries where they operate, such as South Africa and Nigeria. This is why we have started conducting trails for the chili pepper varieties suitable for the South African and Nigerian markets,” he said.
Mansa Chili Limited is a Start-up export-oriented Rural Enterprise based in Mansa, Luapula province, the company was established in 2014 and it has pioneered into chili pepper production, processing and packaging, centered on Out-Grower Scheme model of agriculture and operates from an out-grower’s satellite farm center in Chembe district.
The out-grower scheme has about 15 000 farmers in Luapula, Muchinga and Northern Province who have been engaged in the project providing rural farmers with farming inputs to grow Chili. The project which is aimed at providing input and support to small scale farmers in rural areas currently has a team of farmers in the three provinces producing chili on which some of it is later sold to the company.
