Zambia has the potential, in terms of the amount of water and arable land available for development, while SA has the capacity to develop these resources, said Zambia’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Wylbur Simuusa.
He was in Cape Town recently to attend a summit which brought together Italian and Southern African business leaders and government representatives to discuss strategic opportunities for increased trade and knowledge sharing between Italy and the sub-Saharan African region.
Zambia wanted to grow its agriculture sector by greatly increasing the number of hectares under cultivation, said Simuusa.
Zambia could become the food basket of the region, he said. “We do not yet have the capacity to achieve this, but we have the potential.”
There has not been a strong response from government to partner with Zambia to unlock agricultural potential in the two countries, but SA farmers have responded positively, said Simuusa.
