Phatisa, an African investment company and fund manager, received US$10 million in equity investment from the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) to invest in African agriculture. The Phatisa Food Fund 2 (PFF2) aims to boost agriculture and nutrition across the continent. “Following the AfDB approval, existing approval from Overseas Private Investment…
Farmers globally find it difficult to get access to investments, but for smallholder farmers on the African continent it is even more so. During the recent African Agri Investment Indaba, many speakers cited that factors adding to investors shying away from agriculture on the African continent include; policy and political…
A new investment plan from the European Union (EU) would see the greatest influx of investments into Africa in the face of the continent’s expected population boom. The EU recently got the green light for its External Investment Plan, through which they want to gather about US$ 52.1 billion in trade…
The 2018 budget will especially benefit Zambian crop, livestock and fish farmers, said Zambian Finance Minister Felix Mutati. Mutati delivered his K71.6 billion budget on Friday, highlighting the improvement of agriculture market information systems and the development of functional markets. The focus will be on sustaining high production and enhancing…
Construction of a state of the art US$10 million fish feed plant in Siavonga in Zambia’s Southern Province, has been completed. It is the first plant of its kind in the country. Government has meanwhile called for more private sector investment in the aquaculture industry to increase fish production. “This…
Food security and agriculture in remote northern Zambia received a healthy boost thanks to a US$5 million investment by AgDevCo in the Katito Farming Enterprise near Mbala. Nigel Seabrook, AgDevCo Zambia Country Director, said regional food demand provides a huge opportunity for all players in the agricultural value chain in…
The Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR) says Zambian food manufacturers must up-scale production to enter lucrative export markets. This is as it emerged that Zambian exports to South Africa were unequal to that of imports from that country. ZIPAR research fellow Mwanda Phiri said local food producers…
Rob Davies, South Africa’s minister of Trade and Industry, expressed his commitment to increase trade and trade imbalances with Zambia. This comes two days prior to the minsters Outward Trade and Investment Mission to Lusaka from 24 to 25 July in which 22 South African companies will also partake. “This…
The South African Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) aims to increase trade and investment with Kenya and Tanzania. The department will lead 27 South African companies from various sectors on a mission to the two countries at the end of June, to identify trade and investment opportunities. Rob Davies,…
Zambian President Edgar Lungu has ordered the revision of the existing Land Act to curb foreign ownership of land. In his State of the Nation address, the president told parliament government will also sequester pieces of land where individual interests outweighed national interests. He said traditional leaders are the major…
Musika – a non-profit company that works to stimulate private sector investment in the smallholder market – has been a key partner of the Agritech Expo Zambia, since it started in 2014. We asked its Director of Strategy – Mr. Rob Munro – a few questions. How has Agritech Expo…
American researchers successfully developed a new way to measure African farm yields, using high-resolution photos snapped by a wave of recently developed compact satellites. The Stanford University researchers now plan to scale up their project from a small Kenyan trial across more of Africa. “Our aspiration is to make accurate…
A US$25 million programme called AgriFin Accelerate (AFA) has now also been launched in Zambia to drive digital advancement for small scale farmers. The program was launched by Mercy Corps, an international humanitarian aid agency. It is run in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, which works with non-profit organisations to…
This video, produced by the South African institution PLAAS, in partnership with Zambia Land Alliance, looks at the impact of big investment on Zambian agriculture, Zambian farmers, food production patterns, food markets and household food security. In short - it shows what is happening in Zambian agriculture under the influence…
Zambian tomato farmers get the best price for their produce during the rainy season, from October to February, and they are currently doing a roaring trade. A dip-stick survey around Lusaka’s Soweto market, where 80% of the country’s tomato crop goes, indicates that prices have gone up to ZMW260 (US$26)…
Zambian business people appealed to their South African counterparts to invest in manufacturing and agro-processing in Zambia. Ms. Roseta Mwape-Chabala, president of the Zambia Association of Manufacturers, said Zambians appreciated South Africans’ investment in malls and franchising in their country, but appealed to them to put the same energy and…
The South African Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, asked key investment players to look at investing in the African agricultural sector and make it possible to release the continent’s potential as the world’s food production hub. During his speech at the African Agri Investment Indaba, on Monday…
This article was first published in Business Day. Regardless of interesting climatic and infrastructural developments, policy uncertainty in Zambia remains a key concern, writes Wandile Sihlobo As part of my functions at the Agribusiness Chamber (Agbiz) I recently engaged with agribusiness leaders in the agricultural inputs and insurance industries to…
Zambian minister, Japhen Mwakalombe, of Lusaka Province urged South African investors from the agricultural sector to invest in Zambia. Mwakalombe was addressing delegates at Agri All Africa’s Zambian Seminar, near Johannesburg this week. “We, the government [of Zambia], welcome your farmers, financiers and agriculture specialists into our country,” said Mwakalombe.…
The Phata Sugarcane Outgrowers Cooperative is to receive a $1, 6 million (MWK1.2 billion [Malawian Kwacha]) debt investment from AgDevCo for fixed and working capital expenses. Phata, a smallholder, farmer-owned, organisation was formed in 2011, in partnership with Agricane. The smallholders who grew cotton and sorghum in the Chikwawa district…
