Connect with:
Sunday / April 27.
logo
mobile-logo
HomeStandard Blog Whole Post (Page 154)
Agribusiness

Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) president Jervis Zimba has called on government to invest in modernizing the Zambia Meteorological Department (ZMD) so that the department can improve on the information that they channel out and release to the public.

Zimba said in April 2019 that there is need to invest in latest machinery and equipment that would allow ZMD to capture appropriate and accurate data. He says a farmer is highly dependent on reliable weather information. It is therefore important that this information is imparted to farmers in good time and in a simplified format.

“In fact, our Meteorological Department is our first line of defense in mitigating against climate change because as a farmer, I will be able to determine when to plant and what seed varieties to go for based on information coming out of this Government Department.

Zimba has also called on the country to embrace youths in farming at an early age so that they develop the interest and learn the skills to easily carry the country’s load in future.

The union president said the number of youths between the ages of 15 and 35 years is placed at about 4.8 million and is the largest population of young people in the history of the country.

He said as the country makes advancements in agricultural growth, there is need to ensure that the youth become major players in agricultural activities but that youths need incentives to enable them participate in the agriculture sector.

0 Comments
0 likes

Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) president Jervis

Agribusiness

President Edgar Lungu has called on millers in the country to invest in their own storage sheds and stop their dependency on the Food Reserve Agency- FRA to supply them with maize for their businesses.

The President has observed that millers have been leaning heavily on FRA to supply them with maize instead of getting in the fields and far flung areas to buy their own grain from farmers.

“Millers should stop relying on maize from government through FRA but instead should invest in their own storage facilities in strategic farming areas because in future, millers will find it very hard to purchase maize from FRA,” Lungu warned in April 2019.

The head of state said this when he was making an address during the National Field Day in Kapisha, Chief Mibenge’s area in Mansa.

And President Lungu had called on the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to pay farmers competitive prices for their grain during the 2019 marketing period compared to K70 per 50 kilogram bag of maize that was being paid in the 2018 farming season.

The head of state has noted challenges delayed payments to farmers is costing them and has since called on FRA to pay farmers competitive prices and on time.

Lungu has also prodded the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance to work together and sort out what the perennial problems of delayed payments to farmers and suppliers of the inputs.

He said he would like to see inputs distributed before the onset of rains and has since urged the Ministry of Agriculture to conclude negotiations with inputs suppliers by May so that in turn inputs would be distributed on time.

“The country will not export mealie meal until it has ascertained that there is enough maize and mealie meal for the country, for that reason, excess grain will only be exported after harvest,” he added.

0 Comments
0 likes

President Edgar Lungu has called on millers

Agribusiness

The Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission – CEEC has spent over K318 million through its aquaculture seed fund, cassava integration fund, matching grand facility and industry development under skills development and entrepreneurship projects.

Since the commission’s operations in 2008 it has spent K318 million and financed 2,988 projects across the country which have been following a policy of geographic equity since 2014.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka on April 23th ,2019 attended by the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, CEEC Director General Likando Mukumbuta said the distribution of resources in the projects done, 34% has gone to women, 27% has gone to youths while 1% has gone to the physically challenged.

Mr Mukumbuta added that the commission has in total spent 62% to women and youths who are its focus adding the empowerment of women and youths is critical to economic development in Zambia as over 65% of the countries’ population constitutes of women and young people.

He disclosed that 12,000 jobs will be created in the country through its cassava fund programme adding that 24 cassava processing companies have been approved for funding in order to boost the cassava value chain.

He said it is for this reason that the commission has selected over 500 women to be trained in cassava commercialization and will be organized comparatively. He further said that 120 cassava seed multipliers have been appointed and trained while 66 palates have been produced through Zambia Agriculture Research Institute – ZARI for the cassava seed multipliers.

“We are also providing loans which will go along with technical assistance mainly referred to as business development support in order to provide access to finance for our citizens and to provide them with the business support that is necessary for them to grow their business,” he said.

0 Comments
0 likes

The Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission – CEEC

Mining

Konkola Copper Mine – KCM has refuted allegations by the Mine Workers Union of Zambia – MUZ President Joseph Chewe stating that the mine has cut 11,000 jobs from the 15,000 that the mine had.

The information comes after the MUZ President Joseph Chewe disclosed To the media on April 24th, 2019 that KCM has cut 11,000 jobs despite promises that the company will create and maintain 15,000 when it first started its operations in Zambia.

And KCM General Manager of Corporate Affairs Eugene Chungu told Zambian Business Times – ZBT that the accusations made against the mine are erroneous as jobs at the cite had not been lost but moved the role from KCM to contractor roles of which jobs are still available except are being done by contractors.

Chungu disclosed that from the time Vendeta took over the company in 2004 the number of direct employees at KCM were 10556 while contractor numbers were 3170 adding that over the years the number of contractors had increased while KCM employees reduced.

He added that currently KCM has 6,300 direct employees while the contractor numbers increased from 3,170 to over 10,000.

“When you say that KCM has cut 11,000 jobs, it is inaccurate because you have to look at the jobs that were there and understand that the jobs never got lost but moved to contractor roles hence, they are still available,” he said.

The mine has however appealed to MUZ president not to speak in a manner that will mislead people but focus on pulling stakeholders to grow the economy and production adding that such news is likely to harm the country’s economy.

“We intend to engage MUZ president Chewe because it is important to work together and pull in the same direction, when you speak like that it does not only harm KCM but also the economy as fake news may be believed to be credible hence create bad opinions for to mine entities and the country at large,” he said.

He further said KCM is committed to growing the mining sector and will continue engaging MUZ in benefits of growing the industry.

Meanwhile, MUZ president has challenged KCM to provide correct statistics of its current employees and disclose the number of those that are directly engaged saying the figures he disclosed were the correct figures that the union has.

In a separate exclusive interview with ZBT, Chewe reiterated that from the time Vendeta took over the running of the company, it had over 15,000 direct employees but currently only less than 4,000 direct employees left.

“If KCM is counting the number of contractors working in the mines, it is not true, if government can count the number of workers at Avic and say we have so many workers is that true? So KCM should count on the numbers that are in their books and not the workers that are in the books of their contractors,” he said.

Chewe has further asked KCM to categorize the number of direct employees into those that are unionized workers and the senior staff in order to provide correct information.

0 Comments
0 likes

Konkola Copper Mine – KCM has refuted

Markets

The Board of Directors of Cavmont Capital Holdings Zambia issued a profit warning to the market stating that that the Earnings per Share for the six-month period to 31 December 2018 is expected to be about 5,655% lower as compared to that for the six-month period to 31 December 2017.

In a profit warning note availed to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT signed by company secretary, Rita Mapara-Ndhlovu, Cavmont stated that the decrease in profitability is attributed to increased impairment charges and operating expenses.
Impairment charges for the period are higher mainly on account of the implementation of IFRS 9 on 1 July 2018, which increased impairment provisions across the entire industry.

Mapara-Ndhlovu further stated that operating expenses increased by K19.5m (about US$1.6 million) year-on-year on the back of increased investment in infrastructure and in hiring of staff in order to upskill the group’s workforce which included the on-boarding of key new human capital resources as a performance enhancement strategy and to remain relevant within the industry.

Analysts have pointed to Loan impairments in 2017 to 2018 have weighed down heavily on most commercial banks, a factor that has led to limited to no growth in private sector lending space, a key driver for the financial services industry. Government arrears is another area were the industry had faced challenges as liquidity for loan repayments had been locked into goods and services to the government.

0 Comments
0 likes

The Board of Directors of Cavmont Capital

Markets

The Bank of Zambia – BOZ has refuted claims circulating on local news outlets stating that the Bank has lost containers full of newly minted currency worth more than K68 million in mid April 2019.

The cash is said to have been shipped from Munich Germany by a printing company Giesecke Devrient currency last week (mid April 2019). Bank of Zambia – BOZ Public Relations Manager Kanguya Mayondi told Zambian Business Times – ZBT in an exclusive interview that the information circulating on media platforms is not true as the bank has not lost any amount of money.

He said the force information coming from the media outlets is erroneous and likely to mislead the audience as individuals circulating the claims are not even aware about the amount of money the central bank holds.

“Those claiming that K68 million has gone missing at the bank probably don’t even know how that amount of money looks like hence it should not be something to warry people because that information is not true and it will never happen at the central bank,” he said.

Meanwhile, commenting on matter, National Democratic Congress – NDC spokesperson Saboi Emboele said the information circulating on social media platforms could be true as this is not the first time the Boz has had rumors of misplacing money.

She said told ZBT in separate interview that previously rumors arrived from the public domain that Boz had spent K49 million for buy-election hence it is possible that the K68 million could also have been spent on the just ended by-elections.

“ It is evident that a lot of money has been missing in our country and government is doing nothing about it so If the K68 million has gone missing at the BOZ, it makes sense because if K49 million was said to have been used for buy-elections then it is also possible that the K68 million went towards the just ended buy-election” she said.

She adds that government officials should be accountable to their positions adding that cases of money disappearance in the country are likely to cause public outrage in a nation that has long been dogged by corruption scandals.

She has however called on law enforcement forces to take serious investigations on the matter and ensure that those involved are brought to book without fail.

0 Comments
0 likes

The Bank of Zambia - BOZ has

Mining

Zambia Congress of Trade Union – ZCTU has observed that some mining firms in the country are in a habit of dodging from paying tax as expected, hence causing illicit financial flows to and from the Zambian economy.

ZCTU Deputy Director for Research Muleka Kamanisha told Zambian Business Times – ZBT in April 2019 in an exclusive interview that the Union mother body is saddened with reports from the public indicating that the country is losing huge amount of revenue from some mining companies through tax manipulation.

Mulekwa attributed to a recent report by Zambia Revenue Authority – ZRA stating that a single mine from North western province was owing government US$ 7.8 billion as evidence hence the need for government to quickly attend to this matter.

He said some projects being undertaken by the mining firms are ways of dodging from paying tax as most of them are not centered to help people from sounding areas or improve productivity of the mines.

He added that the money being spent on the social corporate responsibility programmes should not be an excuse to deprive government of tax revenues as it is every company’s responsibility. They are using most of their corporate social responsibility budgets without clear outlines, hence end up acting like they have spent more and pay less to government.

He said it is impossible for a mining company to extract copper without a buy-product such as cobalt and this should be a concern for government to track down records of cobalt as it is a high value product.

“When you look at the price of cobalt on the world market, it is ten times more than copper, copper is currently in the range of US$6,000 per tonne while cobalt is over US$50,000 per tonne, so there is a concern as to whether these mines are really giving us correct records of what is being extracted or we are being mislead,” he said.

Kamanisha has however called on government to create a mechanism of monitoring how much copper is exported from the mines as a way of holding them accountable as this will lessen the linkages in tax revenue. He further asked Zambians working in these mines to act as whistle blowers and practice patriotism by monitoring what surrounds them.

0 Comments
0 likes

Zambia Congress of Trade Union - ZCTU

Agribusiness

The Zambia National Farmers Union – ZNFU says government has banned the slaughtering and movement of all cloven hoofed animals and their carcasses out of Monze and Pemba district in April 2019. This is due to the Foot and Mouth disease found in animals in Monze similar to the one found and contained in Chisamba East.

The movement of all cloven hoofed animals from Southern Province have also been suspended until further notice. Only animals slaughtered in district abattoirs other than Monze and Pemba will be allowed to move and transit through Monze in refrigerated trucks.

The Government Agro expert have outlined that movement is only permitted on conditions that such trucks must be sealed at the point of origin and the seal will only be removed at final destination in the presence of a qualified Veterinary Officer.

Further, seal numbers must be indicated on the Livestock Movement Permit, the movement Permit to be submitted to the Veterinary Officers at final destination. A record kept of all movement indicating source, quantity, product, destination and date must be indicated. Ante mortem and post mortem of meat inspections should be carried out by veterinary officials in all abattoirs.

ZNFU says Vaccination of cattle in Monze, Chisekesi, Pemba and surrounding areas against Foot and Mouth Disease – FMD has heightened with the task force unrelenting on meeting all bio-security protocols. ZNFU says government procured the vaccines from neighboring Botswana and has confirmed the FMD strain serotype from samples sent to Botswana and the United Kingdom.

More than 2 million animals were at risk of catching the disease in Southern Province but that the actions undertaken by the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, through a taskforce led by the Monze District Commissioner Cyprian Hamanyanga are managing to put the disease under control.

0 Comments
0 likes

The Zambia National Farmers Union - ZNFU

Agribusiness

Zambian High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga says some investors from India are willing to put up a milling plant in the country and have also requested for 10,000 hectares of land for Agriculture investment.

The High Commissioner was speaking when she accompanied delegates from India who paid a courtesy call on Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary, Kayula Siame in April 2019. She disclosed that investors are willing to invest in the area of health, mining, agriculture, water and sanitation sectors respectively.

I have come with investors who want to put up some milling plants and also would like to have 10,000 hectares of land for Agriculture and are willing to put up equipment’s in various clinics to improve the health sector,” Kapinjimpanga explained.

And Siame said that Zambia and India will continue to cement relations by increasing trade and investment. She adds that Zambia is looking forward to adding value to local products through the Zambia – India partnership and that Government will ensure the investments becomes a reality.

“I note that you have mentioned a number of projects which you intend to do in Zambia and are in line with our priority focusing on industrialization and value addition,” She said.

0 Comments
0 likes

Zambian High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga

Markets

Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business Association-ZCSMBA has expressed gratitude over government’s interventions aimed at supporting the growth of the Small and Medium Enterprises-SME’s.

ZCSMA chief executive officer Moto Ng’ambi told Zambian Business Times – ZBT an interview in April 2019 that government’s decision to come up with different programmes and projects as a way of empowering and developing the sector is a progressive move towards reducing poverty levels among households.

Ng’ambia says such interventions by government will go a long way in contributing to national development adding that SME’s are the backbone of any country’s economy. He noted that currently most government’s ministries are running different programmes and projects with focus on providing funding to SME’s.

He cited the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry as some of the ministries that have played an active role in empowering SME’s in various sector of the economy in the country

He also mentioned that the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission-CEEC through its construction of the industrial yard project in seven provinces across the country will also help SME’s advance in their entrepreneurship skills and have access to enhanced equipment’s.

He is glad that government’s decision to engage stakeholders through its trade agreements with other countries is a good move as it will boost the growth of SME’s. Ngambi has advised SME’s to take this opportunity and benefit from the projects that have been offered.

“We are further urging SME’s not to give up at the first cite of failure because it a step in business that every person should pass through hence they should remain consistent and keep working hard. Also note that always separate business money with personal money to avoid spending on your profit,” he said.

0 Comments
0 likes

Zambia Chamber of Small and Medium Business