COMACO commissions $600,000 peanut plant

. Lubinda

By JULIUS PHIRI –
ZAMBIA is reportedly a major supplier of confectionery nuts into the world market.
With the dismantling of the parastatal marketing companies, the seed breeding programme collapsed and farming was generally left to the small and medium scale farmers.
Groundnuts provide an important source of cheap protein, energy and vitamins with far reaching positive impacts on health and nutrition.
Although groundnuts are produced in the whole of Zambia, half the country’s groundnuts are produced in the Eastern and Northern Provinces.
It is estimated that a significant number of small to medium entrepreneurs grow groundnuts in Eastern region followed by the Northern Province.
As a result, the Community Market for Conservation (COMACO) commissioned a US$600,000 Zambia’s largest peanut butter processing plant in Chipata.
It is believed that farmers in Chipata cultivate the greatest area for groundnuts and produce large quantity of nuts compared to other districts.
Agriculture Minister Given Lubinda indicated that the peanut butter processing plant commissioned in Chipata was so far the largest in the country.
The minister who was represented by Eastern Province acting Permanent Secretary Royd Tembo said the Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with COMACO to start exporting its products to other countries
“Soon, I am told COMACO will begin exporting to help its farmers earn an even better price from the healthy, chemical free products they produce for the ‘IT’S WILD’ brand,” he said.
Mr Lubinda commended COMACO’s efforts of promoting conservation farming in the province and encouraging crop diversification amongst farmers.
COMACO founder and president Dales Lewis projects a total annual turnover of $5 million in product sales this year sourced from the small scale farmers.
He says these will be farmers who have once struggled to feed their families adding that by 2019 the company was expected to generate a turnover of $10 million.
“These are revenues we share with our small scale farmer partners for complying with conservation in the form of premium commodity price incentives. It is also an incentive to be better farmers,” he says.
The environmental and societal benefits in terms of protected watersheds, tourism interests, was more diverse economy from greener markets and savings from reduced social costs which could be as high as $50 million per year.
He is happy that over 45,000 small scale farmers were now using fuel-efficient cook stoves to reduce the burden of firewood collection and in so doing reducing deforestation and general land degradation.
He says that small scale farmers could be a critical economic engine for this the country’s development by linking agriculture with conservation.
“Unlike in the past when so many small scale farmers were dependent on relief food, we now find these small scale farmers supporting a growing agro-processing industry,” Dr Lewis says.
COMACO board director Titus Kalenga says there were few companies that help poor farmers saying that since 2009, his firm had significantly contributed to the growth of the agriculture sector.
The commissioning of COMACO’s peanut butter plant was an opportunity for stronger partnership between Government and the private entity.
“It is much more than about producing a bottle of peanut butter, as impressive as that might be.
“Rather, this commissioning ceremony is an opportunity to explore the possibilities of … food products produced by farmers committed to conservation can ignite a commercial success and potential expansion of the COMACO model,” he said.
On the other hand, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), representative Mhlotha Damaseke points out the installation of the Chipata peanut butter processing plant has increased production of the product from the previous 36 tonnes per month to 60 tonnes per month.
And a representative of Paramount Chief Mpezeni, Headperson, Maulao, Joseph Jere said traditional leaders were emulating COMACO in promoting conservation farming methods in order to curb effects of climate change.
“Of course farming is the answer for many people in the Eastern Province. COMACO teaches our small-scale farmers climate smart ways of farming, supports them with farming inputs and market,” he said.
COMACO is today offering ready market for soya beans, ground nuts, maize and honey.
A special premium price is offered when farmers strictly adhere to conservation guidelines.
It is true that COMACO was committed to the Government’s mission to keep small-scale farmers out of poverty, living in balance with nature and producing for a growing economy and a growing population.