FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WITH PICTURES
JUNE 13, 2022
LUAPULA CASSAVA FARMERS LOOK FORWARD TO A SEASON WITH MORE CHEERS
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Farmers supplying Zambian Breweries with the cassava for its affordable Eagle lager have kicked off the 2022 cassava harvest season in Luapula.
Embracing the company’s visions of ‘a future with more cheers’, the farmers are a crucial part of Zambian Breweries’ policy of local sourcing and value addition.
”Our goal, as a responsible brewer together with our parent company AB InBev is to have 100% of our direct farmers skilled, connected and financially empowered,” said Zambian Breweries Country Director Michelle Kilpin.
The company continues to build strong communities with a focus on sustainability; both in terms of social-economic development and women and youth empowerment.
This is realised through direct local sourcing of raw materials such as barley, cassava and sorghum from our local farmers, Ms Kilpin said.
Luapula Provincial Minister Hon. Minister Chilundika helped launch the season and highlighted that the cassava crop had become the pride of the Northern part of Zambia.
Crop diversification is the only way that can lead to a promising and better future for local farmers, as well as the country, he said.
Zambian Breweries noted that value addition and local sourcing could uproot challenges and provide benefits such as the creation of more jobs, easing of foreign exchange pressure, and rural empowerment, especially for women and the youth in local communities.
“We want to see a future with more cheers of shared value; more cheers of sustainable farming; more cheers of small-scale farmers being able to sale their harvest to the nearest market in peri- urban and urban areas,” said Ms Kilpin.
In line with its principle of driving innovation, Zambian Breweries, working together with BanQu of the US, has implemented a blockchain digital technology which is used to buy cassava from local farmers in Zambia and make necessary payments via the farmers’ mobile money accounts.
“I wish you all a successful 2022 harvest season and looking forward to seeing more and more small-scale farmers harvesting more casava and make more money for themselves and their families,” concluded Ms Kilpin.
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About AB InBev in Zambia
Zambian Breweries Plc is part of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), the largest brewer in the world, with more than 400 beer brands and some 200,000 employees in over 50 countries. It is also one of the world’s largest bottlers of soft drinks.
Zambian Breweries was established in Zambia in 1968 and its product range has grown to include clear beers such as Mosi Lager, Castle, Carling Black Label, Eagle, Stella Artois, and Budweiser.
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