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ZAMBIAN CHILI EXPORTER WINS U.S. AMBASSADOR’S
PRAISE
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February 24–U.S. Ambassador to Zambia Carmen Martinez has commended African Spices Ltd. for its contribution to rural development through exports of chili to regional and international markets. She made the remarks today while touring the Livingstone-based company.African Spices commercially farms and exports chili peppers to the Elephant Pepper Company in South Africa and McIlhenny Company, manufacturer of the world-famous Tabasco Sauce in the United States. Zambia is the only African country that supplies peppers to this company. The demand for chili peppers has increased over the last two years, sparking the creation of a new business relationship for 220 Zambian farmers who supply African Spices with chilies.
African Spices works with the Elephant Pepper Development Trust, helping small farmers benefit from chili production. Not only do farmers earn income from chili as a cash crop, but because animals such as elephants and buffalos hate chili they can also be used to keep these animals away from crops, gardens and dwellings.
Ambassador Martinez visited the African Spices’ commercial farm and chili processing unit and a farm belonging to a smallholder chili grower. The company employs over 70 people and provides a high value market for smallholder chili farmers in the Livingstone area. Through its marketing of the Elephant Pepper Sauce brand and its strong supply links to the McIlhenney Company, African Spices has made significant inroads in the global market.
Ambassador Martinez outlined the importance of agricultural export companies to Zambia’s economic development, saying: “The growth of companies such as African Spices means more money in the pockets of a large number of rural Zambians, better food security and health for the rural population, stronger markets for the multitude of small shopkeepers and businesses in the area, and more tax paid to the Zambian Government for the development of essential services.”
African Spices is a good example of how the U.S. Government supports the Zambian Government and its people by providing funds through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to local partner organizations. The USAID-supported Market Access, Trade and Enabling Polices (MATEP) program is assisting African Spices to market its range of chili products to the United States of America. Another USAID-supported program, Production, Finance and Technology (PROFIT), is helping African Spices meet the rising demands for its products and expand its small-farmer production base.
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