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The Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO) has announced an expansion plan that would see its plantation footprint grow to 100,000 hectares over the next three years, covering five provinces across Zambia.
ZAFFICO Head of Corporate Affairs and Marketing, Ireen Lungu, said the corporation currently managed 62,000 hectares of eucalyptus plantations in the Northern and Northwestern provinces.
Speaking in an interview with Zambia Monitor, Lungu said the planned growth was part of the corporation’s strategy to scale up production capacity and strengthen its value-addition agenda.
She explained that expanding plantation hectares would support ZAFFICO’s processing operations, including its portrait plants and sawmill, by increasing the availability of raw materials required by customers.
“ZAFFICO’s value-addition drive started in 2018 with portrait plants producing construction and transmission poles for the regional market. The company has also commissioned a sawmill, producing timber for the Zambian market,” she said.
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Lungu noted that the sawmill had a projected annual production capacity of 250,000 cubic meters and had already received a positive response from customers.
“We are excited about the opportunities in the regional market and are working to increase our production to meet the growing demand,” Lungu said.
She added that ZAFFICO was aiming to penetrate wider regional markets such as Zimbabwe and Angola through the Lobito Corridor, positioning the corporation to supply timber products across the region.
“Our focus is on increasing production and improving our value-addition capabilities to meet the growing demand for timber products,” she said.
She added that the company’s expansion plans were expected to stimulate local economic activity and create new jobs, marking a positive development for Zambia’s forestry sector.
“We are committed to sustainable forestry practices and contributing to the country’s economic development,” she said.
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