Workers at Mpund Wild Honey, a Chinese-run firm, show the fully packaged honey in central Zambia's Kabwe town, on Nov. 3, 2018. The Zambian firm involved in honey production said on Saturday that it would use the forthcoming first China International Import Expo (CIIE) which runs from Nov. 5 to 10, to seek more markets for its products. (Xinhua/Peng Lijun)

KABWE, Zambia, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- A Zambian firm involved in honey production said on Saturday that it would use the forthcoming first China International Import Expo (CIIE) which runs from Nov. 5 to 10, to seek more markets for its products.

Mpund Wild Honey, a Chinese-run firm, flagged off the export of the first consignment of 3.45 tons of honey to the Chinese market worth 34,000 U.S. dollars last month.

The firm said it is participating at the expo because it wanted to capture more customers in China.

Fredrick Chomba, a supervisor at the firm situated in central Zambia's Kabwe town, confirmed that the firm was attending the import expo with the sole purpose of finding more markets for its honey.

The firm, he said, was looking to expand its market not only in China but other parts of the world and in Africa as well.

Established in 2015, the firm engaged about 319 bee farmers through its out grower scheme who have been trained and imparted with bee keeping skills.

He said the firm, which also has its own beehives, buys the honey from the farmers once it was ready, adding that this has helped empower the local people to earn some income.

He however said the firm intends to train about 1,000 beehive keepers in its endeavor to boost production.

The firm gets its honey from Kapiri Mposhi town in central Zambia as well as from northwestern part of the country, he added.

Ramson Mwansa, one of the beehive keepers commended the firm for coming up with the project, saying it has helped them in ensuring that they were earning incomes.

The 42-year-old father of six children said the firm was giving them the beehives for free as well as training them before buying the honey from them.

He said the initiative has helped him be able to take care of his family by taking his children to school as well as inputs for his farming.