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Luapula Province Permanent Secretary, Prudence Kangwa, has called on the Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) to relocate and establish more processing facilities within the province, in line with President Hakainde Hichilema’s directive that raw materials must be processed at source.
Kangwa expressed concern that most of company’s value-addition infrastructure—such as pole treatment plants and sawmills—remained concentrated on the Copperbelt, despite the corporation operating extensive plantations in Kawambwa, Lupososhi and surrounding districts.
During a familiarisation tour of ZAFFICO plantations in Kawambwa District, Kangwa said transporting raw timber out of Luapula only for finished products to be brought back was escalating production costs for local industries.
“There is need for processing plants to be established in Kawambwa, especially as demand for poles and timber continues to grow,” she said.
She stressed the importance of close collaboration between the Provincial Administration and parastatals, saying early engagement would help address challenges such as power supply, infrastructure and recapitalisation.
Kangwa noted that the company had already made progress, having commissioned a new sawmill, begun exporting treated poles to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and set plans to establish a particle board factory that will utilise sawdust and other by-products.
She assured the corporation of continued government support, stating that transforming state-owned enterprises into profitable ventures remained central to national development priorities.
ZAFFICO Plantation Manager, Donald Lumbeta, disclosed that between 80 and 90 percent of the raw materials used for producing transmission poles supplied to ZESCO were sourced from Kawambwa, positioning the district as the backbone of its operations.
“The corporation has 25,000 hectares of land, with 3,400 hectares planted so far—largely under eucalyptus, while pine accounts for over 700 hectares,” Lumbeta explained.
He said plantations established in 2014 were now yielding strong returns, making firm the country’s largest supplier of transmission poles to ZESCO.
Describing Kawambwa as “the future of ZAFFICO,” Lumbeta highlighted the district’s favourable climatic conditions, noting that its high rainfall accelerated tree growth beyond national averages.
He added that the plantation operations had since expanded into Lupososhi District, further boosting production capacity.
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