By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –

THE Government will soon finalise a US$100 million financing deal with the African Development Bank (AfDB) for the revival of the cashew industry in Western Province.
In May this year, AfDB announced that it would provide about $45 million to finance the Cashew Infrastructure and Value Chain Development project in Western Province.
But Agriculture and Livestock Minister Given Lubinda said Government was in dialogue with AfDB to source for $100 million instead of $45 million earlier communicated to.
Mr Lubinda said this in an interview in Lusaka yesterday.
He said the Government would soon conclude a $100 million loan deal with AfDB that would enable the Government to revamp the cashew infrastructure and value chain development in Western Province.
According to AfDB, the project will directly benefit 70,000 smallholder farmers.
“I am very grateful that this project has a total support and blessing of President Edgar Lungu and the Vice-President as well as the Finance minister and (I thank) AfDB for showing willingness to partner with us to revamp the cashew industry in Western Province,” Mr Lubinda said.
The poverty rate in the province is one of the highest, estimated at about 80 per cent.
He said that the revival of the cashew industry would involve the generation of cashew trees, introduction of new varieties and establishment of farmers’ cooperatives.
Mr Lubinda said he would soon be sending his deputy minister to Mozambique with a view of investigating the possibility of Zambia importing cashew trees from that country.
“Mozambique is producing quite a lot of cashew and they have a number of cashew trees,” he said.
In order for the cashew industry to be sustainable, Mr Lubinda said there was need to train extension officers in cashew plantation management.
He said that the cashew was fetching higher than copper on the international market.
Mr Lubinda said copper prices were currently fetching around $4,800 per tonne compared to cashew nuts which were going at $50,000 per tonne.