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Millet’s products good substitute to imports – Scott
Kitwe, June, ZANIS ——Vice President Guy Scott says millet has got the potential to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if fully maximised.
Dr Scott says companies such as Zambia Breweries (ZB) should identify and find their own local market where to purchase their products from.
Dr Scott says Zambia Breweries should think outside the ‘box’ and move away from traditional crops like maize and consider millet if the company was to make ‘more money’ through exports of its products.
The Vice President was speaking in Kitwe yesterday when he toured and inspected the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock stand at the on-going 56th Copperbelt Mining Agriculture Society Show (CMACSS) which has attracted both local and international exhibitors.
The theme for 2013 is dubbed, ‘’Mining and Agriculture for Continued Development and Prosperity’’.
Dr Scott said ZB was free to make and export local brew commonly known as ‘Katata’ or any other related product to the outside market.
‘There is a lot of millet being grown in the country but there is no market for it. Probably, Zambia Breweries could take advantage and produce the local brew and demonstrate to us the local content other than importing products all the time,’ he said.
He advised local Zambian companies to rise to the challenge by producing more goods to benefit the local market unlike a situation of importing foreign products thereby disadvantaging the local people from being employed.
And speaking earlier, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Seed Analyst Isaac Mafuleki disclosed that millet once grown at full scale could produce two bye products namely beer and fuel.
Mr Mafuleki said the country has the potential of producing 8,000 metric tonnes of millet per month and over 90,000 metric tonnes of the same produce on an annual basis.
“Zambia is capable of producing 96,000 metric tonnes of millet per year and the cash crop is grown in most parts of the country. The bye products of millet is fuel and beer which are able to add to the country’s GDP,” Mr Mafuleki said.
