ZIMBABWE and Zambia have agreed to work on a pilot project for the development of Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs), which will be used as a template across the continent.
African industry ministers agreed during an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last week that CAAPs were an important part of the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a US$3,4 trillion block, which aims to create a single continental market for goods and services.
An agro-park is an area of an intensive, contiguous parcel of land for agricultural production that seeks to integrate all facets of the agricultural value chain from pre-production to production, post harvesting and marketing.
They agreed that implementing the CAAPs will help Africa cut a food import bill of US$50 billion, which is currently outsourced to the rest of the world, according to a report of the African ministers’ meeting.
Industry and Commerce minister Sekai Nzenza said the two countries would soon launch a feasibility study for the project.
Reports from the ministers’ discussions said Zimbabwe was taking steps to return to its breadbasket status on the continent, and it has seen CAAPs playing a crucial role in the recovery of its agricultural sector.
The plan was to roll out at least 10 CAAPs projects by 2025, and the Zambia–Zimbabwe pilot projects would play a key role as economies would tap from expertise developed as it takes shape.
Zambia and Zimbabwe did not disclose where the first agro park would be established.
- Tribunal to settle sugar milling dispute
- Financial inclusion critical for African agriculture success
- Manufacturers get US$300m lifeline
- Industry cries foul over new export surrender requirements
Keep Reading
But the southern African neighbours have swaths of prime land in their countries, which can support big agro-based projects and industries.
“On the implementation of the cross-border agro parks in Zambia and Zimbabwe, Honourable Chipoka Mulenga, minister of commerce, trade and industry, Zambia, was very optimistic that the common agro-industrial parks would provide food sustainability for Zambia and the continent,” minutes of the summit said.
“In her affirmation, Hon. Dr. Sekai Nzenza, minister of industry and commerce, Zimbabwe, highlighted that collaboration between Zimbabwe and Zambia is an unforced natural phenomenon, flagging cultural and historical heritages shared by both nations.
“The new era for Zambia–Zimbabwe collaborations has been restated as the CAAPs. As the former breadbasket of southern Africa, Zimbabwe is looking to include CAAPs in its strategy for agricultural recovery.
“It was also discussed that small-holder farmers should be at the centre of the CAAPs initiative as commodities’ quality, quantity, and consistency will inform final production,” reads the report.
In a contribution to discussions over CAAPs, Nzenza said the agro parks would consolidate government and private sector partnerships.
“Common Agro parks have become vehicles for attracting private sector investments in establishing mega industrial hubs on the continent,” she told the meeting. “Zimbabwe and Zambia have a shared history of bilateral cooperation that dates back to the colonial period and around this, we have created a shared opportunity around the future of industrialisation.
“The AfCFTA has given us the opportunity to convert the political will between our two countries into economic dividend. In pursuit of that, (we) are jointly implementing an industrialisation cooperation programme, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, in March 2021.
“Collaboration within the development of value chains is key to the development of regional and continental trade. If Africa is to trade with itself, Africa must be prepared to produce high value products on a collaborative basis,” Nzenza said.
