By DIERRE SAKALA –

IN a quest to increase the production of palm oil at the Mpika-based Zampalm plantation, Zambeef has embarked on an Out-grower Trust.
By June last year, the plantation had developed 2,800 hectares of planted area with a total plant figure of 400,000.
The plantation, currently described as the largest in the southern African region, started in 2008 with the first planting of palm oil trees done in 2010.
It is against this background that a stakeholders meeting was held in Mpika recently.
The meeting was attended by Ministry of Agriculture, Zambia National Farmers’ Union, Musika Export Trading and the district administration officials.
A consultant from Uganda Nelson Bassalidda, engaged by Zambeef to facilitate the establishment of a palm oil out-grower trust said, the development of theTrust will in turn, pave way for the linking of farmers to financial institutions for funding of palm oil seedlings and fertilisers for smallholder farmers to yield better results.
He said farmers who are going to participate in the out-grower project, will expect to grow up to 6,000 hectares in the first phase of the programme.
Mr Bassalidda said that each farmer will be expected to grow an average of two hectares in the first phase and increase their production as the demand continues to grow.
He explained that this will increase the extracting capacity of the plant which is currently producing two tonnes of fresh fruit per hour.
Mr Bassalidda recommended that the farmers be made into organised grass root structures for easy mobilisation and transfer of technology.
He further advised that farmers who wish to put up their palm oil farms should ensure that their farms are in the circumference of less than 50 Kilometres because of the short life span of the palm fruit.
Mr Bassalidda hailed the traditional leadership for the desire they showed in having the trust that will spearhead the works.
There was huge involvement from Senior Chief Kopa who has shown willingness to have the Trust established in Mpika.
Zambia is likely to have high production going by the fertile land that is found in Kopa area.
He stressed that both the soils and the land topography favours the production of palm oil.
Mpika has the potential of making Zambia self-sufficient in palm oil production when the Trust helps smallholder farmers increase production.
Mpika District Commissioner Moses Katebe has expressed happiness at the involvement of the private sector in supplementing government’s efforts in alleviating poverty for the rural farming communities.
Mr Katebe said during a consultative meeting that government has created an enabling environment for the private sector to take advantage and do business in the agriculture sector.
He, however, welcomed the development of the palm Oil production Trust adding that it will link smallholder palm oil farmers to financial institutions that will finance the out-grower scheme.
He said the development of the trust in the palm oil industry will bring long-term income generation for smallholder farmers thereby improving their standards of living.
Mr Katebe applauded Zambeef Holdings for setting up a 20,000 hectares palm oil plantation in Chief Kopa’s area.
Mpika District Agriculture Coordinator Edward Hachuundu said the development of the Trust has come at the right time going by the willingness shown by the stake holders and the traditional leadership.
Dr Hachuundu added that this is in line with government’s policy of ensuring that the smallholder farmers have food security and income generation.
He expressed happiness that the Trust on palm oil production will bring development to the area through the out-grower scheme. –NAIS