US firm to set up tourism food plant in Zambia

Fri, 09 Jun 2017 14:14:47 +0000

By KALOBWE BWALYA

AN American agricultural firm has pledged to set up an agriculture processing plant worth about US$1 million to service the tourism industry in Zambia.

Sabrosa Foods Incorporation (SFI) chief executive officer Duane Thompson said his firm, with an investment portfolio of US$12 million in the United States, was set to provide value addition to agricultural products consumed by the tourism sector in Zambia.

Mr Thompson said SFI planned to enhance value added food product trade outside of South African distribution channels with an overall objective of increasing brand awareness, sales volume and profitability.

According to first secretary for press and public relations in Washington DC Cosmas Chileshe, Mr. Thompson said this during a meeting with Zambia’s first secretary (tourism) Marsha Holdway and first secretary, (trade) Charity Zulu in Virginia.

“As measurable results from achieving these goals, Zambia’s tourism destinations will be promoted as travel favorites for enjoyable culinary experiences which will strengthen the offerings of the respective value-added products through Zambian tourism,” said Mr Thompson.

He noted that the project would be accomplished in conjunction with Diversity Restoration’s Homecoming Project by forming a Zambian Culinary Tourism Alliance.

The Diversity Restoration Solutions is a business tourism and international project development firm specializing in linking together US and African businesses and has earmarked to build a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art Restoration Centre headquarters for Africa in Zambia.

“Once the agricultural processing firm is set up in Zambia, we will then start exporting processed products to markets such as the USA where SFI has a huge demand for its products,” Mr. Thompson said.