Greenbelt geared to promote high value crops

Greenbelt Authority says it aspires to invest between K300 billion and K500 billion in high value crops such as cotton nationwide.

In an interview yesterday, Greenbelt Authority chief executive officer Eric Chidzungu said through the investements, they seek to realise wealth transformation for the irrigation farmers.

He said: “In five years, we want to invest about K300 billion to K500 billion in cotton production, chillies, horticulture, cannabis, wheat, rice and sugar cane for both consumption and energy in form of ethanol as the country has below required quantity of it.”

According to Chidzungu, chillies, which are in high demand in Europe, will be grown on 1 500 hectares piece of land by two firms in Mzimba with 10 000 metric tonnes projected to be exported to the international markets.

Nchalo Greenbelt Association chairperson Lyson Moyo described the development as good news, saying some irrigation schemes have been lying idle sor some time.

He said farmers have in recent years failed to profit form cotton farming despite investing enormous labour in the initiative.