…Amb. Anthony Mukwita advises Zambian youth regarding quinoa crop
Berlin 23.06.20
Zambian youth must organise themselves into some form of agriculture cooperative’s and take advantage of the market base provided by German agro investor Amatheon said Zambia´s Ambassador to Germany H.E Anthony Mukwita.
Ambassador Mukwita said the time is ripe now because Amatheon is buying a ´new crop´ in the country called quinoa pronounced as keenwah pegged at a price better than maize or other traditional crops Zambia farms.
The senior diplomat who has had various engagements with Amatheon CEO and founder Carl Bruhn said Zambia youth and indeed anyone willing to ´get their hands dirty´ productively could make a decent living growing and selling the cash crop to Bruhn´s outfit at Amatheon.
The facts on the ground are that, the crop is compatible to Zambia´s good climate and rich soils and fetches more money than corn or maize does and Bruhn’s team is willing to buy it at about K720 ($40) per 50kg bag compared to a measly K110 a 50kg bag of maize fetches.
“I have no doubt that if a group of Zambian youths organised themselves into a corporative cluster with an investment plan, they would access money to grow quinoa and make lots of money because Amatheon has not put a cap to how much of the crop they can buy for export purposes,” said Ambassador Mukwita.
H.E Mukwita who is scheduled to meet the Amatheon boss Bruhn soon said agriculture, as Zambia and the world gets out of the COVID cloud, could be a positive game changer instead of holding political revolts online.
“Our diligent Zambian youth could turn tables around and show that they have the ability to do the right thing,” Ambassador Mukwita said.
He said, “I have no doubt that the President H.E Edgar Lungu would find ways or money to support the first batch of youths that stand and say they are willing to get into this agriculture venture and many others no doubt at all.”
In May, Ambassador Mukwita and Amatheon´ s Bruhn started the first discussions on quinoa which is just one of the many projects Bruhn is involved in Zambia after investing millions of euros in the country.
Carl Bruhn employs about 650 Zambians directly that pay taxes and more than 2000 out growers.
He is the single largest individual German investor in Zambia and has a close work relationship with the embassy of Zambia in Berlin said Ambassador Mukwita.
CAPTION: CEO and founder of Amatheon Carl Bruhn with H.E Anthony Mukwita in January in Berlin.