By JUDITH NAMUTOWE –
ABOUT 200 solar-powered milling units have so far arrived in the country, the Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF) has said.
ZCF operations manager Derrick Sokoni said the 200 solar-powered milling plants which include milling houses, central controlling system and panels have arrived.
Mr Sokoni said this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.
Recently, 100 solar-powered milling plants arrived in Zambia through the Port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Beira Port in Mozambique, bringing the total number of units that had entered the country to 200.
“Of the 200 milling plants, 95 have been installed in three provinces namely Northern, Eastern and Lusaka. We have installed 48 in Northern, 33 in Eastern and 14 in Lusaka. That is where we are right now,” Mr Sokoni said.
ZCF intends to roll out 2,000 solar-powered milling units which are being received from the manufacturer from China in batches across the country.
The milling plants are being funded by the Government under the Presidential Milling Initiative.
The milling units are aimed at stabilising the mealie-meal prices in the country and to protect consumers from being exploited by millers.
Over the last few months, authorities and millers have been at loggerheads over mealie-meal prices.
