ZAMBEEF hosts Japanese delegation
December 9th, 2014
Regional agribusiness giant hosts delegation from Japanese Embassy
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Japan is exploring opportunities for investment in Zambia’s agribusiness sector, kick-starting its fact-finding mission with a tour of Zambeef Products’ operations in Chisamba today.
Zambia’s agriculture sector offers significant opportunities for Japanese investors, according to the Japanese Ambassador to Zambia H.E. Kiyoshi Koinuma.
Japanese Ambassador to Zambia H.E. Kiyoshi Koinuma inspects grain at Zambeef’s Huntley Farm
“Zambeef is one of the success stories in the agriculture sector in Zambia and the agriculture sector is one of the priorities for Japanese companies; that is the reason I came here to visit Zambeef,” said Mr Koinuma, who toured operations at Zambeef Products’ Huntley Farm in Chisamba this week.
The Japanese Embassy plans to bring a mission of Japanese investors to Zambia next year to explore business opportunities in a range of sectors, which may include agricultural technology.
The Ambassador and his delegation from the Embassy and the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) inspected Zambeef’s meat processing plant, flour mill, feedlot and cropping operations during their tour.
Zambeef Joint Chief Executive Officer Francis Grogan welcomed the group and said: “We need companies to invest in Zambia from a business point of view to open up the economy. If the Japanese are interested in developing agribusiness in Zambia there are enormous opportunities to produce food locally and to supply the region.”
And he reiterated the company’s stance on encouraging local production and supporting Zambia small-scale farmers rather than allowing the import of food from elsewhere when Zambia is capable of being self-sufficient in a range of commodities.
About Zambeef Products Plc
Zambeef Products Plc is the largest integrated agribusinesses in Zambia. The group is principally involved in the production, processing, distribution and retailing of beef, chicken, pork, milk, dairy products, eggs, edible oils, stock feed and flour. The group also has large row cropping operations (principally maize, soya beans and wheat), with approximately 8,350 hectares of row crops under irrigation and 17,000 hectares of rain-fed/dry-land crops available for planting each year. The group is also in the process of rolling out its West Africa expansion in Nigeria and Ghana, as well as developing a palm project in Zambia.
It slaughters more than 80,000 beef cattle and 6 million chickens, and processes 8 million litres of milk per year. The company has 122 retail outlets throughout the country, along with three wholesale depots.
