The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has commissioned Zambia’s first cassava processing facility in Chitambo District, which is expected to benefit over 6,200 farmers in the district and surrounding areas.
IDC CEO Cornwell Muleya said the K86.5 million project was established with support from the African Development Bank’s Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). Mr Muleya said the plant, which is 70% owned by IDC and 30% by the Chitambo District Cooperative Union, will process up to 120 metric tonnes of cassava per day into cassava meal, starch, and animal feed. The facility currently employs 29 staff, with total direct and indirect jobs expected to reach 86 and 4000, respectively.
This pioneering project aims to commercialize cassava production, serving industries such as baking, textiles, and breweries. The plant is fully functional, with all products having been certified by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS). Mr. Muleya emphasized that the initiative would promote inclusive economic development in the region, aligned with Zambia’s industrialization goals.
“At IDC, we believe that this initiative will not only bring inclusive economic activity but will also foster development to this central region of our country,” he said.
Agriculture Minister Hon. Reuben Mtolo Phiri, who was the Guest of Honour, said that the facility supports the Government’s Eighth National Development Plan (2022–2026) and the newly launched Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), focusing on value addition in agriculture. Central Province Minister Hon. Mwabashike Nkulukusa added that the province’s large cassava cultivation area had previously been underutilized due to a lack of processing infrastructure, and that the new factory would increase opportunities for farmers.
African Development Bank Country Manager Mr Raubil Durowoju stressed the significance of agro industrialization, highlighting how the new facility connects farmers to markets and enables them to transform raw cassava into competitive products for both local and international markets. His Royal Highness Chief Chitambo echoed the potential benefits for local farmers, encouraging increased cassava cultivation to meet the anticipated market demand.
