07-09 Oct, 2015 - Lusaka, ZAMBIA
Radisson Blu Hotel Lusaka
Radisson Blu Hotel Lusaka
Zambia’s largest integrated agribusiness group, Zambeef Products Plc, has pioneered the country’s first ever palm oil plantation in Mpika.
Zambeef started the Zampalm project in 2009. Around 370,900 palm trees are planted over an area of 2,612 hectares in the main plantation currently.
Zampalm owns 20,238 hectares of titled land and intends to plant a total of 4,812 hectares in 2017 with plans to expand on a yearly basis. Zamplan has committed to invest approximately USD41.5 million. The company has already spent US$20 million of that amount.
It’s estimated that the plantation can produce an average of 3 - 3.5 tonnes of crude oil per hectare that can generate over USD170 million in revenue over the next 10 years.
Zampalm has also built a 2-tonnes-per-hour crushing mill. It also plans a second 2-tonnes plant in 2017 and another 10-tonnes plant in 2018. The mills are expected to increase the crude palm oil production up to 17,000 tonnes a year.
The project is expected to decrease Zambia’s dependence on palm oil imports. It’s estimated that the country needs approximately 120,000 tonnes of palm oil annually, of which more than 50% is imported from the Far East, East Africa and South Africa.
The added palm oil production capacity has the potential to help the government to reduce crude palm oil imports, which currently stand at over USD70 million annually.
More on Zambeef’s commercial farming activities will be discussed by Francis Grogan, Joint CEO of Zambeef Products Plc at 4th Commercial Farm Africa, scheduled on 7-9 October, 2015, in Lusaka.
Contact Ms. Grace at grace@cmtp.com.sg or call +65 6346 9147 for more information.
