Tue, 20 Feb 2018 10:47:57 +0000
By MAILESI BANDA
THE Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZA FICO), the new owners of the Kawambwa Tea factory will start tea branding and packaging before June this year says.
Luapula Province Minister Nickson Chilangwa who is Kawambwa Member of Parliament said the new owners are now in the process of buying equipment that will help them in the expansion of the tea factory.
Mr. Chilangwa said with the new equipment, the company would be able to process and package tea for both the export and local market.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Nation, he said the expansion of the Kawambwa Tea factory would increase the economic pro le of Kawambwa and the province.
“ZAFFICO is in the process of procuring machinery that will en- able them process and package the Tea which we will be able to sell both to the local and export market,” he said.
And the minister disclosed that the company would start irrigation to increase production as the crop was rain fed at the moment.
Mr. Chilangwa said irrigation would start before June adding that the management of the factory had since informed him of the developments.
Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation took over the ownership of Kawambwa Tea Estate on December 10 2016.
And in February last year they started production with 40 tonnes of tea leaf picked and processed per day by 176 workers.
