By HELEN ZULU –
AMATHEON Agri Zambia, a German agribusiness and food firm, has invested about US$20 million in the construction of two dams for irrigation purposes in Mumbwa District.
Amatheon group chief executive officer Carl Bruhn said the first dam site dubbed ‘Katonga’ was a joint venture of Amatheon Agri Zambia and Toyota Tsusho Corporation meant to develop 2,700 hectares of land for cropping of maize, wheat and soya with an investment of US$10 million.
Mr Bruhn said to ensure steady water supply for irrigation purposes, the dam would be built to operate at full capacity by 2017.
He was speaking at the official launch of the construction of phase two of different dam sites, Katonga dam site and Abba dam site which are part of Amatheon’s expansion strategy in the area.
“We are happy to further extend our infrastructure whereby we expect to increase our productivity and contribute to Zambia’s agricultural development and food security.
“We have invested about $20 million in the construction of these two dams. The Katonga dam site is being constructed at a cost of $10 million and we have invested $10 million in the Abba dam site.
“Our company chose to invest in Zambia due to its strong agricultural potential, the growing population, robust economy and stable Government,” Mr Bruhn said.
He said the second Abba dam site was part of a farming block expansion which complemented the development of a 10,000-hectare block for irrigated farming operations and cattle ranching and rain-fed cropping.
Mr Bruhn said the construction would be completed and the dam would be fully operational during the course of 2016.
He said it was well-known that agricultural growth was essential for reducing hunger and poverty, especially in Africa where it was the dominant employer and a significant driver for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
Agriculture and Livestock Minister Given Lubinda said the Government was committed to ensuring that it created an enabling environment for more investment to come into Zambia’s agriculture sector.
Mr Lubinda commended Amatheon group for investing in the agriculture sector in the area as it was going to improve food security.
He urged the company to not take the dam sites for crop irrigation but also as a tourism site as it was strategically located.
“The dams that are being constructed here in Kaindu area will not only irrigate crops but also stock fish. Zambia imports about 45,000 metric tonnes of fish and yet we have more than 20 million hectares of land covered by water. There is an opportunity to create wealth and jobs for our people.