Briefing while Minister of Finance Felix Mutati(r) and Commerce
Minster Margaret Mwanakatwe(l) looks on at the Ministry of Finance
China Railways Seventh Group Zambia Limited, the company engaged by Government to conduct a feasibility study in March this year, has concluded the works and handed a report to Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya as well as her Finance and Northern Province counterparts Felix Mutati and Brian Mundubile, respectively.
Speaking during the presentation of the report yesterday, Ms Siliya said the 200,000-hectare farm block will be used as a model to develop other agriculture clusters across the country.
She said the blocks should be an opportunity for Zambians to grow in agriculture so that there is enough produce for export all year round.
“Kalungwishi farm block will be one of the biggest in the country, and we want to use it to increase agriculture production,” she said.
She said agriculture is not just about land, water and money, but requires a lot of enablers so that excess agricultural produce is used for livestock support and bio-fuels.
And Mr Mutati said the development of Kalungwishi farm block will be part of budget preparations for 2018 to ensure dreams are turned into reality.
China Railways Seventh Group Zambia Limited managing director Li Songquan said the farm block will be developed over a period of six years.
Mr Li said this will be done in two phases with the first one expected to start by the end of this year.
“The actual construction works would commence by April next year with targeted phase one completion by 2020,” he said.
The main project includes the construction of large dams, a 350km road network, landing strip, school, clinics and agriculture extension services.
Comment: these are some of the projects PF has done, the remaining are these.did you hear of Robert makasa kampasa university?
Its good MMD/PF unity government has adopted UPND agricultural manifesto.
And these will either go to ministers or internationla firms…nothing for the masses. Ministers families and close should be barredfiting from benefiting from such projects to curb corruption.
And these will either go to ministers or international firms…nothing for the masses. Ministers and their close families should be barred from benefiting from such projects to curb corruption.
Pipothe beneficiary will be china…. it has no more space for its pipo thtaa why all poor countries worldwide are getting loans from them….when they dont repay the loan the takeover the project they funded and use their pipo.
Google sri lanka and see the problems they now have by being dependant on chinese money.
Look at sri lanka funded projects and compare them with zambias..u will see the similiarities.
With a landing strip there we have now enabled access to a remote are for troops in the future.
The landing strip can be used to smuggle out anything from zambia….ask our security heads for their thoughts
Tru. They most likely ve already shared the two phase already.
That’s why one report is being cc to many people – many interested parties
Lets focus more in agriculture, this is good project from the government, however the president should make sure that funds are not embezzled by these ministers. there are to many corrupt ministers in Zambia just like kambwili.