FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WITH PICTURES
OCTOBER 15, 2021

ZAMBIAN BREWERIES EMPOWERS LOCAL FARMERS

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – From the inception of its flagship Smart Agriculture Programme, Zambian Breweries has consistently looked to not only help improve local farmers’ yields but also guarantee access to the best ingredients for some of its most popular brands including Mosi, Castle and Eagle lager.

Building on its parent company AB InBev’s 2025 sustainability goals for Smart Agriculture, Zambian Breweries’ vision is to promote better crop management and sustainable agribusiness by facilitating access to training and constant mentorship for smallholder farmers while also connecting them to markets.

During the 2020 season, Zambian Breweries bought more than 25,000 metric tonnes of local produce including barley, sorghum and cassava.

This year, the brewer’s agricultural procurement increased to more than 32,000 tonnes – a 40 percent increase benefitting around 8,000 households and creating more than 80,000 jobs along the value chain.

Last year, Zambian Breweries procured 19,300 metric tonnes of barley, which grew to 22,500 metric tonnes in 2021.

Zambian Breweries Agricultural Manager Chris Nicolle noted that despite the challenges brought on by load-shedding and the effects of COVID-19 in 2020, there was a marked increase in barley demand and supply quantity, which not only created export possibilities but also enabled the company’s Malting Plant in Lusaka to ensure self-sufficiency in the local malt market.

“The frequent interruption of power supply last year disrupted the irrigation programmes under ZB’s Smart Agriculture initiative. However, with careful management of resources, there was a noticeable improvement of the quality of barley received at the plant,” he said.

“We had high expectations of a good malt production from the crop delivered to the plant during the year. With a 16 percent increase in barley demand, the plant is now producing all the required malt for brewing in Zambia. And due to the increased barley supply and malt production, there is also the possibility of exporting the produce to neighbouring countries.”

Following the success of the initial Smart Agriculture project, Zambia’s largest brewer plans to expand areas of the programme that have had the highest impact on local communities specifically its barley, cassava, and sorghum out-grower initiatives.

This will be achieved by having about 31 large-scale operators who will employ over 120 employees per farm – resulting in an estimated 3,700 households benefitting from the initiative.

On the cassava front, Zambian Breweries more than doubled its procurement from 4,000 metric tonnes in 2019/2020 to almost 5,000 metric tonnes in 2020 / 2021, which directly benefited over 6,000 households over the past 5 years in its project areas.

“As demand for Eagle lager grows, so does the demand for cassava – the main ingredient in the brewing process,” explained Mr Nicolle.

“Consequently, Zambian Breweries is looking to build up stocks of cassava for the rest of 2021 to stay ahead of demand. We also intend to develop a cooperative approach for our agrobusiness projects to ensure easier access to training and markets for indigenous small-holder farmers.”

The 2020 season had several challenges that culminated in subdued crop harvest due to unusually dry weather coupled with the effects of COVID-19. Regardless, the brewery still managed to procure 2,300 metric tonnes of sorghum – which positively impacted over 3,500 households.

During the same year, Zambian Breweries also ran a successful pilot programme with Silverlands Ranching, of Southern Province, that aimed to create a direct purchase process from small-holders via a central buying point, with seed distribution and skills training being provided to participating farmers.

“2021 season has some exciting new programmes with the Silverlands programme being ramped up as it goes into its second year,” noted Mr Nicolle.

“There are good expectations regarding farmer training and growth in quality stocks of agro-products.”

“We have also recorded some success with a new pilot programme we are running with the World Food Program (WFP) that seeks to reach up to 1,000 farmers. Under the project, rural farmers have enjoyed improved access to seed, fertilizer, and crop protection remedies as well as specialised skills training conducted by WFP personnel,” he concluded.

Going forward, Zambian Breweries has committed to cultivating sustainable growth for local small-scale farmers thereby extending its contribution to national GDP by stimulating economic activity in all industries along its value chain – including agriculture and transport – while also promoting community empowerment in rural communities.

In 2019 the company generated almost K 6.0 billion in output value, created more than 80,000 jobs and paid K1.6 billion of taxes to the government revenue.

– Ends-

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.

For media inquiries please contact
Gillian Langmead at Langmead & Baker Ltd
+260 979 060705
info@langmead.com