By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Vice President Inonge Wina has held talks with India’s Shree Vagmi Cotton Limited, which will invest US$7M in the next three years to build a factory that would process cotton lint in 2019 alone.
Ms Wina who was accompanied by Zambia’s High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga had since toured Shree Vagmi Company Cotton Factory in Indore, in the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh.
“I am happy to note that the Company has already acquired a 26 acre land in Mwembeshi area, Chibombo District, Central Province,” she said.
And Vagmi Company Chief Executive Officer Amit Dwivedi said in 2020, his company would evolve from cotton ginning to a full textile which would resuscitate the once vibrant textile industry in Zambia.
“My company further identified Boniface Daka from Lusaka’s Chawama area who has been fully sponsored and is undertaking a year long training programme in India focusing on factory engineering and operations management,” he said.
He said the company would engage 23000 cotton farmers from Mumbwa , Shibuyunji, Chipata, Petauke, Lundazi, Katete, among others, in the next two years.
“The company will be running an out grower scheme where it will supply farmers with seed, chemicals, wool packs and we shall collect cotton from farming areas because we will procure an initial 15 trucks,” he said.
And Zambia’s High Commissioner to India Judith Kapijimpanga noted with gratitude that Vagmi Company was happy with a clear policy direction by the Zambian Government on value addition, and especially that the Cotton Board of Zambia has a fixed cotton price for a win- win situation.
“Zambia has reliable transport system, hospitable citizens, peaceful, progressive legal and banking systems,” she said.
The High Commissioner said she was happy to note that Vagmi Cottons Company would also build houses for some Zambian staff running the factory.
The Vice President was later expected to hold talks with top investors in Indore City and meet a company specialised in securing public infrastructure.
This was contained in a statement made available by First Secretary Press and Tourism at the Zambian Mission in India Bangwe Naviley.
