BUUMBA CHIMBULU writes
ZAMBIAN Breweries is this season targeting to buy 3,100 tonnes of cassava for its beer production.
As at the year-end 2019, the company bought just under, 2,000 tonnes of cassava.
Zambian Breweries Agriculture Manager, Chris Nicolle, said the company depended on high-quality agricultural crops to brew its beers.
Mr Nicolle said supporting the livelihoods of farming communities was therefore vital for the company.
“We are working with over 3,000 direct farmers across 10 provinces at the moment – with produce ranging from barley to sorghum, maize and cassava – allowing us to brew the best beers,” he said in a statement.
Mr Nicolle said as big buyers of local produce, the company was helping farmers improve their productivity, profitability, and their efficient use of natural resources, such as soil and water.
He explained that the company believed research, knowledge, technology and financing were the key ingredients to transforming agriculture at scale.
“We leverage these to advance agricultural development and measure our impact through yields, resource-efficiency, and soil health and smallholder incomes.
“We are committed to catalysing sustainable transformation – securing our supply chains, improving farmer livelihoods, and strengthening natural ecosystems – now and for the years to come,” Mr Nicolle said.
He said Zambian Breweries continued to support local farmers across the country by purchasing raw materials such as maize, barley, sorghum and cassava used to brew its beer.