World Grain - December 2019 - 30

FEATURE: BUILT FROM SCRATCH, WITH 'NO COMPROMISES'

Top: The roller mill floor at the NMC mill
includes both four- and eight-roller mills
manufactured by Bühler.
Bottom: The sifting section is comprised of
Bühler Arenit plansifters.

of peak-time capacity and meet
that growth that was available in
the market."
The potential to produce more
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from the new mill.
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said. "We know we can do a test
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to do a hard sell, just do the test
bake in the bakery and leave the
bread on the table."
Bosse said even before the mill
was built, NMC had several distinct advantages over its competition, namely its brand recognition
and transportation network.
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of money on marketing because
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"Our products are available in every province."
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also the envy of the Zambian milling industry. It includes 55 trucks
for local deliveries as well as longer
hauls throughout the country.
"We have 45 of our own sales outlets and are the only milling company
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stores and we are the only one in all
of their outlets."
The new mill is located by a rail
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Bosse said.
PLENTY OF QUALITY WHEAT
Unlike neighboring Zimbabwe,
whose milling industry has been
impacted in recent years by political
corruption, a shaky economy and a
multi-year drought, making wheat
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30

Zambia enjoys a relatively stable
political situation, a commitment to
agriculture and has a modern farming system that includes irrigation
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"Zambian wheat is good milling
quality," said Bosse, noting that
NMC sources most of its wheat
within a 300-kilometer radius of
Lusaka. "The way it is described to
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wheat. It has very low moisture.
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French, but something in between.
It is a very good all-purpose wheat."
Bosse said Zambia cultivates a
diverse group of wheat varieties, so
blending is an important aspect of
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time to help with the consistency," he
said. "Our bakers tend to appreciate
consistency above anything else. It
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it does have to be consistent."
With that wheat, NMC makes
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mix, which is popular with the counWU\¶V VPDOO EDNHUV ZKR DUH LWV ELJgest customers. Only 4% of its sales
go to the home baked goods sector and Zambia has only four large
plant bakeries.
"With all the small bakeries, the
biggest challenge for them is ingrediHQWV´%RVVHVDLG³7KH\GRQ¶WZDQW
to buy sugar from one guy and salt
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ready mix, mostly in 25- or 50-kilogram bags."
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about 30% to 40%, Bosse said. It also
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market and about a 5% market share
in maize meal.
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strong in all three," Bosse explained.
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December 2019 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - December 2019

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