NOEL IYOMBWA writes
@SunZambia
Eight Zambian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) under the auspices of Multinational Business Zambia are in Turkey’s commercial hub of Istanbul to attend the 8th IDMA International trade exhibition of milling and pasta technology.
The International Flour, Feed, Semolina, Rice, Corn, Bulgur Machinery Pulse, Pasta and Biscuit Technologies (IDMA) started on March 20, 2019 and ends today.
Multinational Business Zambia Trade and Investment Director, Moffat Mbewe said the IDMA International Fair was in line with President Edgar Lungu’s aspirations to ensure value addition to agricultural produce and to create jobs for citizens as outlined in the 7th National Development Plan (7NDP).
“The domestic and industrial equipment that we came across during the Fair is required in Zambia especially with the Presidential directive that we should add value to agricultural products. We feel that Turkey is our strategic partner to help us with equipment to add value to maize, wheat and soya beans so that even as we export, we add value to the products,” Mr Mbewe said.
He further said the delegation had secured a franchise with a German company called Kastenmuller, for the supply of a 24-tonne mobile milling system, which would be used to process maize in areas hit by hunger, especially during droughts and other disasters.
Mr Mbewe said the mobile milling system, which is mounted on a truck would will be the first of its kind on the African continent and that Kastenmuller also planned to exhibit its unique technical innovation at this year’s Agriculture and Commercial Show in August.
“We came to learn and to try and pick up a few things that we can replicate in Zambia,” Mr Mbewe said.
Mutinational Business Zambia president Kafwimbi Malindima urged Zambian companies to participate in such international trade exhibitions so that they can learn best practices and contribute to the economic development of the country.
Enlight Investment Limited Managing Director Jane Malitoli challenged diplomats at the Zambian Mission in Ankara to continue working hard to showcase the country as a trade and investment destination of choice.
She also said encouraged Zambia and Turkey to expedite implementation of all the 12 agreements signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s historic visit to Zambia in July last year.
The agreements cover agriculture, stockbreeding, fishery, tourism as well as investment, sports, and diplomacy.
Zambia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Dr Joseph Chilengi said the Mission was happy that the Zambian companies attended IDMA international trade exhibition, which enabled them to move forward their business interaction.
Dr Chilengi called on all businesses in Zambia to look at Turkey as the emerging centre of innovation and technology.
The IDMA Exhibition, which has attracted processors from 144 countries, is held every two years and is aimed at facilitating investment programmes and partnerships.
This is according to a statement Issued by First Secretary for Press at the embassy of the republic of zambia in Ankara, Turkey Jerry Munthali.
