-1. ZAMPALM to create 2,000 jobs

1.      ZAMPALM to create 2,000 jobs
Mpika, June 3, 2013, ZANIS…ZAMPALM, a newly created subsidiary of
Zambeef Products located in Mpika district of Muchinga Province will
create 2,000 new jobs next year as the company starts harvesting fruits

and processing palm oil.

This came to light over the weekend when Muchinga Minister Colonel
Gerry Chanda visited the project located in Chinama chiefdom of Chief
Kopa of the Bisa people on the out skirts of Mpika.

The company has invested about KR 7.5 million on its palm oil
plantation in Mpika from part of its US$ 41 million total investment
for the palm oil production which will include the setting up of a
cracker to process the palm oil.

ZAMPALM Plantation Manager Trusted Mwiinga told the minister that the project was on course.

Mr. Mwiinga said all things being equal his company will create about
2,000 new jobs during harvest and processing of the palm oil next year
in 2014 or early 2015.

Mr. Mwiinga said a processing industry will be set up at the
Mpika ZAMPALM plantation to process the palm oil adding that it is
during this time that more jobs will be created.

He said that the number of jobs required is more than the number of
people in the area saying at some point there will be need to get more
people to work on the plant from outside the district.

And Muchinga minister Colonel Gerry Chanda said he was impressed with
what he had seen on the 20,000 hectare farm.

Colonel Chanda said the government was happy with the huge investment
from Zambeef adding that it stands ready to support such
initiatives that will in the long run transform the lives of the local
people.

The provincial minister who visited both the nursery and the main
plantation said had no doubt that  such a project will
transform the lives of the local people in particular as well as
contributing to the economic status of the province as a whole.

He has since appealed to the general work force at the plantation to
put in their best and ensure that the company realizes full benefits
that will also be passed on to them in form of salaries and good
conditions of service.

Colonel Chanda said the Government expects the workers at the ZAMPALM
plantation to work hard because he has faith in the company that it
will also take care of its workers going by the huge investment that
has been put in.

Earlier, Chief Kopa of the Bisa people of Chinama chiefdom said people
in the area have already started getting the benefits from the ZAMPALM project.

Chief Kopa said most of the people in the area were now able to send
their children to school from what they are earning at ZAMPALM.

The Mpika ZALMPALM plantation which was set up in 2008 will be
processing 100,000 tonnes of palm oil per annum when fully
operational.