World Bank plans dollars 50m loan
By CYNTHIA MWALE
THE World Bank is expected to provide a US$50 million concessional loan for further development of the four farm blocks in Zambia next year.
Government has since allocated K15.4 billion towards the commercialisation of agricultural land for farm block development.
Minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives Brian Chituwo says a team of experts is working on a pre-feasibility study to enable the World Bank grant a concessional loan for infrastructure development in the farm blocks that will assist commercial farmers.
Dr Chituwo said in an interview in Lusaka, that the study would include an environmental impact assessment and social impact assessment.
He said the areas earmarked for large-scale farming are Musakashi block in Mufulira, Momboshi and Nansanga blocks both in Central Province and Lusitu block in Siavonga.
“A technical team is currently working on the pre-feasibility study to enable the World Bank give us a concessional loan next year to develop these large-scale farms,” he said.
Dr Chituwo said the development of Musakashi farm block will enable farmers to grow enough crops to even export to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He said Lusitu farm block farmers would utilise water from the Zambezi River to ensure food security.
Several investors from India and China have expressed interest to invest in Nansanga farm block in Serenje district.
Recently Zambia Development Agency told the Daily Mail that the major challenge in selling the farm blocks to would-be investors is lack of infrastructure.
Labels: BRIAN CHITUWO, FARM BLOCS, World Bank
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No extra land for farm blocs, chief Mwene Mutondo tells govt
Written by Mwala Kalaluka
Saturday, September 12, 2009 2:08:05 AM
CHIEF Mwene Mutondo of the Nkoya people in Kaoma has told the government that no extra land would be given for the establishment of farm blocs in his chiefdom because he is deeply disturbed by the behaviour of government officials.
In a letter dated August 16, 2009 addressed to agriculture minister Dr Brian Chituwo, Mwene Mutondo warned the government to be wary that issues of land had caused problems in many parts of Africa. He stated that this should not be allowed to be the case in Zambia and Kaoma in particular. The subject of the letter was highlighted as Kalumwange Farm Bloc.
“In the first place, I would like to thank you and the government for working hard and uniting the people of Zambia and wish you God’s blessings,” Mwene Mutondo opened his letter.
“I, however, wish to bring to your attention a very sensitive issue, which I am not pleased with. This is the Kalumwange Farm Block in Kaoma. The way the issue is being handled by your officers leaves much to be desired.”
Mwene Mutondo stated that as traditional custodian of land, he was deeply disturbed with the way things were happening in Kaoma.
“I fail to understand why your junior officers could facilitate the movement of surveyors to map the farm block without my knowledge. Your officers seem to be in a hurry to acquire land without my consent by using my suspended induna Kasimba, leaving me behind and yet the land in question is under my chiefdom,” Mwene Mutondo’s letter read in part.
“I strongly suspect that your officers have a hidden agenda. Last year, I wrote to your permanent secretary in which I complained about the behaviour of the officers who seem to be conniving with some rebel or unfaithful area indunas in my chiefdom but to date the permanent secretary has not responded.”
Mwene Mutondo further stated that he had a good working and cordial relationship with the government of the day.
“With regard to farm blocks, I am surprised that out of the four farm blocks in place, not even one has been fully developed and have all been turned into primitive villages as opposed to farm blocks. Some selfish individuals acquired massive portions of land and have resold them to other people who have equally failed to develop them,” he stated.
“I therefore find it very strange that out of the three quarters of land given to state, nothing has benefited the people of my chiefdom.”
He pointed that it was in this regard that he was questioning the government’s intention to acquire an extra 100, 000 hectares for farm blocks when the current ones had yielded nothing. Mwene Mutondo stated that he had consulted his children and subjects over the position he had taken.
Labels: CHIEF MWENE MUTONDO, FARM BLOCS, KALUMWANGE FARM BLOC
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Zambia prepares model farm as mining alternative
Mon Feb 2, 2009 3:00pm GMT
LUSAKA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Zambia is completing a model farm meant to encourage economic diversification from copper and cobalt mining to agriculture, finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said on Monday.
The 155,000-hectre Nansanga farm will be ready for foreign and local investors this year as the country pushes to grow more export crops to reduce dependency of copper exports, he said.
Musokotwane said an initial 42.4 billion kwacha ($9.19 million) had been allocated in the budget he unveiled last Friday for infrastructure development at Nansanga.
"In terms of electricity, I can confidently say we are 80 percent done with the works," he said.
"What we need is electricity for irrigation farming and there is money provided in the budget to do roads and dams, which will be for our small scale farmers while we will let the big (farmers) to sort themselves out.
Another 56.5 billion kwacha was be used by small scale farmers countrywide to grow export crops, mainly maize, he said.
Musokotwane said part of the Nansanga land would be awarded to European investors keen to grow crops for biofuels and that the government would soon engage contractors to do roads and dams to ensure there is irrigation farming all year round.
The global financial crisis has hit copper exports and Zambia has said its economy cannot continue to rely on the copper industry, the country's economic mainstay.
(Reporting by Shapi Shacinda)
Labels: FARM BLOCS, FARMING, NANSANGA FARM
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Cabinet approves land allocation modalities in farm blocs
By NKOLE CHITALA
CABINET has approved the structure for administering land allocation in the proposed farming blocs across the country. And the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has expressed concerns that most economic sector players apart from the Farmers Union have not developed sector codes as it had suggested.
Minister of Lands, Bradford Machila said the administration of farming blocs would be done through the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to accommodate small-scale farmers.
Mr Machila was speaking at the CEEC ‘sector codes conference’ organized by the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU).
Mr Machila said the administration programme would start with Nansanga farming bloc, which had 130,000 hectares to be allocated to small-scale farmers and commercial farmers.
He said Government was hoping that it would attract local and foreign investors in the farming blocs and take advantage of the CEEC.
Mr Machila said the intension of having both small scale and commercial farmers in the farming blocs was to encourage commercial farmers help small-scale farmers with skills and achieve economies of scale.
He said this would push the agenda in the agriculture sector, which was a Government priority.
Speaking at the same occasion, CEEC director general Mable Mun’gomba said that there was need for various sectors to actively participate in the sector codes to use them for empowerment.
Mrs Mungomba said the six months deadline had elapsed but none of the sectors had developed sector codes except the ZNFU which had engaged a consultant on the matter.
Section 24 (1) of the CEE Act provides for the issuance of the Sector Codes, which are specific targets that outline plans to achieve citizens economic empowerment.
She said it was important that sectors develop the sector codes so that they could have an input and bring out important issues.
Mrs Mun’gomba said the role of CEEC was to support the process so that it fits the ideals of citizen economic empowerment.
She said sectors that had not developed the codes would not benefit from the empowerment programme.
Meanwhile, ZNFU president Guy Robinson said the union had engaged Bob Schinga as a managing consultant to facilitate the development process of sector codes.
Mr Robinson said the consultant would ensure that all stakeholders were captured.
He said ZNFU fully supported the CEEC programme and that ZNFU would work very closely with the commission and all other stakeholders to achieve the intended objectives.
As a starting point in the development of Sector Codes, the CEEC had identified mining, financial services, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and Information and Communication Technology.
This year the commission drafted guidelines for developing sector codes that were sent to stakeholders.
Labels: BRADFORD MACHILA, CEEC, FARM BLOCS, ZNFU
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