(LUSAKATIMES) ZDA to conclude negotiations with the winner of the tender to develop Nansanga farm block

ZDA to conclude negotiations with the winner of the tender to develop Nansanga farm block
TIME PUBLISHED - Sunday, January 8, 2012, 10:00 pm

THE Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) is this week expected to conclude negotiations with Bonafarm Group which won the tender to develop Nansanga farm block’s anchor core venture plot.

Over 10 local and international companies bidded for the development of the Nansanga farm block in Serenje district in Central Province.

Among the companies that bidded for the Nansanga development are Polyserve Fertilizer from Egypt, Bonafarm Group from Hungary, Sable Transport Limited from Zambia, and Sea Agriculture Group from the United Kingdom.

In an interview, ZDA acting director-general Florence Mumba said the Hungarian investor is expected in the country this week to conclude the deal for anchor core venture in Nansanga farm block.

Nansanga farm block, a 155,000-hectare area, is part of government’s programme to open up viable farm blocks in various parts of the country to be involved in primary production and value addition.

Mrs Mumba said the Hungarian investor is expected to provide technical and financial capacity to establish a processing plant and add valuation for the farm block.

The Nansanga farm block design includes one core venture (10,000 hectares), commercial farms ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 hectares and smallholdings of about 30 -300 hectares.

She said 310 small farms have been allocated to Zambian investors who are expected to pay for the survey diagrams.

“The farm block is ready for investors, farming should start as soon as people get their survey diagrams,” she said.
Mrs Mumba said works done by government at the farm block include electrification, construction of dams, bridges and access road to the area.

She said the anchor investor will be expected to put up more infrastructures in the farm block such as access roads because Government has not done much.

Nansanga farm block is a plateau, dominated by Miombo woodlands with between 700-1,000 mm average annual rainfall.
Maize, beans, soya beans, groundnuts, Virginia tobacco, rice, tea, sunflower, finger millet, coffee, wheat and oil seeds are suitable crops for the area.

[Zambia Daily Mail]