Agriculture Minister Robert Sichinga markets Zambia to the Corporate Council on Africa on Investment opportunities in the Agricultural sector

February 12, 2014 - Agriculture and Livestock Minister Robert Sichinga, has called foreign investment into the agricultural sector saying the country is open to lease land in the various farming blocks in the country.

Mr. Sichinga said under the Farm Block Development Programme, Government had targeted one farming block for development in each province. He also stated that each block had an area not less than 100,000 hectares available for long term leasing, which has the potential for huge exports.

The Minister was speaking the Corporate Council on Africa's Agribusiness Working Group in Washington DC.

He urged the potential investors to take advantage of the stable political and economic environment to invest in the sector, which could ultimately supplement Government's efforts to increase land productivity, especially for small holder farmers.

Earlier Zambia's Ambassador to the United States Palan Mulonda, outlined the country's 2030 vision.

Ambassador Mulonda who shared Zambia's 2030 Vision from an agricultural perspective with the potential investors, said with the increased investments Zambia has the capacity to be the bread basket of the region.

Among the organizations that attended The Agribusiness Working group presentation were the USAID- Bureau of Food Security, Land O'Lakes Inc., National 4-H Council and the Development Finance International Inc.

Mr. Sichinga was accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.