By Chisomo Phiri
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-On Monday March 14,2022 before his departure for New York in the United States of America where he is attending first part of the fifth United Nations ( UN) Conference on the Least Developed Countries ( UN- LDC5) taking place at UN Headquarters, President Lazarus Chakwera launched of a groundnut processing plant at Pyxus Agriculture Limited in Lilongwe.
According to Chakwera, the plant which has a daily capacity of 50,000 metric tones, will create close to 2000 jobs and support over 6000 farmers in the country.
Chakwera said,the plant will also create spin-off benefits such as increased incomes for over 30,000 and business opportunities for a range of suppliers and small-scale traders.
“I am glad that the groundnuts ecosystem that will be created by this investment comprise 6000 farmers on contract farming and 30,000 others will have increased incomes.
This kind of investment is crucial for the social-economic development of our country because it directly supports two of the three pillars of our long-term vision, Malawi263. These being Agriculture productivity, Commercialization and Industrialization,” said Chakwera.
He said, his administration remains committed in ensuring that it opens the opportunities to serious investors who can support the mechanization of the country’s agriculture sectors and help in achieving the increased export, job creation and more forex into the economy.
Pyxus Groundnuts Processing Plant is one of the biggest groundnuts processing plants in Southern Africa.
The Plant will be involved in value addition to groundnuts and processing other groundnuts products such us peanuts, cooking oil, among others.
