By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
FOUR brothers in Lusaka have formed a groundnut processing firm with a monthly capacity of processing more than two tonnes of grounds into peanut butter and other products.

• DAVIES Bwembya grinds groundnuts for clients (not in picture) at Chipata Main Market in Lusaka at the weekend.
Picture by KENNEDY MUPESENI

Davies Bwembya and three of his brothers have established a company called Takape Enterprises which is involved in the processing of groundnuts before it is offloaded to the market.
Located at Lusaka’s Chipata Main Market the firm is attracting influx of customers especially women who go to buy the peanut butter and groundnuts powders as well as to grind their groundnuts at a fee.
In an interview in Lusaka, Mr Bwembya said the family company started operating in 2004 with one processing machines but the number has now increased to 11 out of which seven are used to grind the nuts while the other four are peanut butter processing machines.
“The increase in the number of processing equipment has pushed up the processing capacity of our firm with the capacity of producing over 50 litres of peanut butter with several kilogrammes of powdered groundnuts and we generate between K400 and K200 per day,” he said.
They also buy groundnuts which they process and sell on wholesale and currently they have 60 by 100 Kg bags of groundnuts in stock to offset the deficit that might occur in the value chain before harvest somewhere in April.
The company plans to procure industrial machines to increase production and meet the growing demand of the commodity.
“We want to increase production, that is why we have an ambitious plan to acquire industrial equipment to increase production because our demand has increased over the years but that has been hampered by the kind of machines we have,” he said.
Mr Bwembya disclosed that they since procured a K7,000 processing machine which would be installed soon after the electrification of the building housing the firm.
“Last year we applied for K50,000 to the Youth Empowerment Fund to recapitalise the business but after appraisal, officers indicated that we have already the capacity but we are determined to grow our capacity from our earnings to supply big wholesalers within and beyond Lusaka,” he added.
Mr Bwembya, further said the company was facing a challenge of intermittent power cuts which he said was affecting production and urged Zesco Limited to prioritise attention towards such industries to spur economic development.
He said projects like theirs had the capacity to contribute significantly to the economic development of the country if well supported.