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Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, is leading a delegation to Brazil to explore cooperation and support in developing an agriculture master plan for the Lobito Railway Development Corridor.
His counterpart, Minister of Agriculture, Ruben Mtolo, is part of the delegation.
In a statement, Musokotwane said the aim of the delegation was to exchange information with Brazilian authorities aimed at scaling up economic productivity through agriculture.
Delegation leader, Musokotwane said the mission’s objective is to exchange information with Brazilian authorities aimed at scaling up economic productivity through agriculture.
“We want to encourage the Brazilian investors in agriculture, agro-processing and other sectors to explore investment partnerships with our people in developing agriculture along the Lobito Railway Development Corridor.
“In permitting us to undertake this mission, President Hakainde Hichilema was very clear on what we should priority to: field visits in selected farming ventures at different scales of operation,” he said.
Musokotwane added that the delegation aims to understand how investments along the Brazilian agriculture value chain are structured to contribute effectively to the wider economy’s productivity.
He said through this mission the delegation aims to ensure that Zambian and Brazilian cooperation effectively contributes to creation of viable and sustainable agriculture value chain along the Lobito Railway Development corridor in the near future.
“Just like the President guided us before departure, we are here to elevate economic corporation between the two countries. He [President] anticipates a business friendly ecosystem along the corridor viable enough to attract investment from anywhere in the world,” Musokotwane said.
His counterpart, Mtolo observed that the literature which the delegates had before embarking on the mission showed that agriculture was a major source of foreign exchange, employment and income with significant multiplier effects on the rest of the economy, especially in manufacturing and other value additional sectors.
He said President Hakainde Hichilema was keen to see Zambia adopt lessons and best practises from field visits in Brazil in the quest to grow the agricultural in Zambia along the entire value chain, without leaving everyone behind.
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