LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – President Lungu joined Zambeef this week in celebrating the nation’s biggest and best-loved food processing and retail company as the home-grown success story marked 25 years of operation.

The President, Minister of Livestock Prof Nkandu Luo and guests from all walks of life touched by Zambeef over the years attended a Silver Jubilee dinner dance at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel on Thursday (November 21).

Over 25 years Zambeef has grown to become the leading vertically integrated food processor and retailer in Zambia and has played a vital role in empowering farmers in Zambia as it sources most of its agricultural products from them.

The president recognised the important part Zambeef has played in the agriculture sector, providing food security and contributing to Zambia’s economy by providing farmers a market for their produce.

“I am delighted to be part of this very, very important occasion marking 25 years of the existence of Zambeef in Zambia. It has indeed been 25 years of feeding the nation. My government attaches great importance to the development of a productive, resilient, diversified, competitive and sustainable agricultural sector which spurs economic growth. Government is aware of the vital role the private sector plays in boosting productivity in the agricultural sector as well as driving economic growth. This is precisely what Zambeef is doing. It is indeed commendable.

“There is no doubt that Zambeef plays a significant role in promoting value addition in the agricultural sector. This is in line with my government’s policy of promoting value addition. The food sector in Zambia uses large quantities of locally produced raw cuts from major poultry producers such as Zamchick, a Zambeef subsidiary which grows day-old chicks from its own state-of-the art hatcheries and this is also commendable. Zambeef has demonstrated unwavering passion in ensuring value addition at every stage of production. Further, Zambeef has been supporting the implementation of the local procurement policy by buying livestock from farmers cross the country. In beef processing, even hides are used by Zamleather to produce leather products. This is also in line with our government’s industrialisation agenda.

“It is gratifying to note that the company is one of the largest employers outside the mining sector and GRZ, providing decent jobs and a stable income to many of our people. For the last 25 years, Zambeef has been a major player in strengthening the local agriculture sector, providing market linkages to our farmers and contributing to the country’s economic growth. The company has been instrumental in supporting different categories of farmer through the provision of a dependable market.

“I extend special gratitude to the founders of Zambeef, Dr Carl Irwin and Mr Francis Grogan, for building a proudly Zambian company,” he said.

Zambeef chief executive officer Francis Grogan, who was joined by co-founder Dr Carl Irwin, chairman Dr Jacob Mwanza and deputy managing director and CEO designate Walter Roodt, assured government that Zambeef would continue working alongside local farmers to enhance the agriculture sector’s efficiency and growth.

“Zambeef is testimony to what entrepreneurship can achieve. This company began 25 years ago in 1994 from very, very humble beginnings. What we did have was vision and energy and youth, and huge opportunity, and together with the incredible team of people we have assembled over the last 25 years, we have managed to create the Zambeef you see today,” said Mr Grogan.

“It has been a long and hard and rocky road but a very satisfying and rewarding journey and from those very humble beginnings we have together managed to create the largest vertically integrated food retailing brand in Zambia that now touches the life of every single person in the country.

“It is thanks to the enormous goodwill and support of all our stakeholders that we are the Flagship Company we are today. Today Zambeef accounts for over 1% of Zambia’s GDP and is the leading agribusiness in Zambia and the region.

“We are the champions of food security in Zambia. We are the largest business partner of farmers and employer in rural areas of Zambia promoting the procurement of locally produced raw materials and leading the way in poverty alleviation, food security, job creation and sustainable development of rural economies.

“It is thanks to the enormous goodwill and support of all our stakeholders that we are the flagship company we are today. Let me mention our loyal customers, our loyal and passionate staff, our long term suppliers, the Meat & Grain Workers Union and also government, who have created the conducive business environment we needed to thrive.”
Over the last 25 years Zambeef has grown from a small butchery in Kabwata to becoming the most successful cold chain food processing and retailing company/business in the region. Zambeef operates 36 macro-stores nationwide, bringing its total retail outlets to 200.

About Zambeef Products Plc
Zambeef Products Plc is the largest integrated cold chain food products and agribusiness company in Zambia and one of the largest in the region, involved in the primary production, processing, distribution and retailing of beef, chicken, pork, milk, eggs, dairy products, fish, flour and stockfeed, throughout Zambia and the surrounding region, as well as Nigeria and Ghana.

It has 206 retail outlets throughout Zambia and West Africa.

The company is one of the largest suppliers of beef in Zambia. Five beef abattoirs and three feedlots located throughout Zambia, with a capacity to slaughter 100,000 cattle a year. Zambeef produced 18.1 million kgs of beef in 2018.It is also one of the largest chicken and egg producers in Zambia, producing 16.9 million day-old chicks a year and processing 12.8 million kgs of chickens in 2018.

It is one of the largest piggeries, pig abattoirs and pork processing plants in Zambia, with 9.9 million kgs produced during the year, while its dairy processes around 19.3 million litres of milk a year.

The Group is also one of the largest cereal row cropping operations in Zambia, with approximately 7,787 hectares of row crops under irrigation which are planted twice a year, and a further 8,694 hectares of rainfed/dry-land crops available for planting each year.

Zambeef employs 7,555 people with a total of K420.8 million paid in remuneration and benefits in the last year.

More information is available at www.zambeefplc.com

Audio soundbites available here:
President Lungu
Zambeef CEO Francis Grogan

Video soundbites available here:
President Lungu
Zambeef CEO Francis Grogan Cutaways