Over two decades ago, Zambeef pledged to support the cattle industry in Zambia through the company’s implementation of a local procurement project targeting small-scale and emerging farmers across the country.
This was during a period when local communities, particularly in rural areas, were grappling with high levels of poverty and many livestock farmers faced challenges conducting their businesses effectively due to inadequate trading facilities, lack of capital and market access.
And, through the intervention of Zambia’s largest cold chain food provider and agribusiness in these areas, particularly Namwala District where the company has been active since 2004, farmers have been able to climb out of poverty, with some even graduating from smallholder to commercial farmer status and many success stories have been told since.
Two such farmers are Ford Puuka and Manings Muchende who explain the secrets of their success, bolstered by the ‘Zambeef Secret’ of having a ready market for their cattle thanks to the company’s local procurement policies.
Fostering new business opportunities
Before starting his livestock business, Ford Puuka of Namwala’s Maala area was a struggling vegetable farmer looking for an alternative source of income to help him provide for his wife and six children.
However, Mr Puuka’s attempts towards a profitable vegetable gardening business were unsuccessful and he found himself shifting his focus towards livestock farming, which he says was a more lucrative business venture due to Zambeef’s presence in the community.
“After Zambeef started sourcing cattle from local farmers, most of their businesses boomed so I thought to give it a try too, and that’s how my partnership with the company started,” he said.
“I started with supplying Zambeef three bulls and when I saw that the business conditions were favourable and the move brought me a considerable amount of money, I decided to increase the number to six and the cycle continued until I was able to supply the company with more cattle.”
Now one of the most respected livestock farmers in Maala thanks to the successful partnership, Mr. Puuka, a once-struggling vegetable farmer is a proud owner of two farms.
He adds, “After my business boomed, I even built an eight-roomed house, sunk boreholes, bought a car and took my children to private schools,” he said.
“I also invited my young brothers, Kelvin and Adrian, and some of my friends to the business and they began supplying cattle to Zambeef to the extent that they have also become successful businessmen themselves.”
Stimulating job creation
For Manings Muchende, another farmer hailing from Maala, years of doing business with Zambeef has elevated his status to a thriving entrepreneur able to provide job opportunities for local people in his area.
“My livestock farming business has helped me empower six people with jobs at my farm. Looking at where I am coming from, never would I have imagined that after facing difficulties, I’d be able to provide support to other people in my community,” Mr Muchende said.
A big family man, Mr Muchende has also been able to provide support to his three wives, building houses for each and sending his seven children to the best schools in the district.
“Before I started supplying cattle to Zambeef, my family and I were living in a one-roomed thatched house, and I couldn’t even take my children to school. We could not even access clean water or electricity. But due to the success of my business, I even managed to get an electricity connection for my home,” he explained.
Mr Muchende commended the agribusiness company for its continued demonstration of integrity and legitimacy in all its operations along the value chain.
“Zambeef has always been a supportive company. The business conditions are favourable, and I face no challenges getting my money after supplying them with my animals. They even provide free transportation to and from my farm,” he said.
“This has helped me move from supplying the company with three cattle to 500 per month. I can proudly say choosing to do business with Zambeef is the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Mr Muchende hopes to see more farmers conducting business with the agro-giant, calling Zambeef “a trustworthy company.”
Nurturing the agro value chain
Zambeef’s consistency with implementing deliberate policies aimed at bringing about positive growth at both local and national level has culminated in improved value addition, wealth creation and employment generation in its areas of operation.
The company incorporates a triple bottom line approach through which it aims to leave a lasting impact on the socio-economic environment in the country and continues to source 100 percent of its beef from smallholder farmers in rural communities.
Zambeef plays a pivotal role in poverty alleviation in these areas by creating linkages connecting farmers to markets across the country, providing an opportunity for them to benefit from its downstream value chain.
