Zambeef Products PLC has invested over US$16m in the expansion of Chiawa Farm since its acquisition in February last year.

This came to light during a tour of the farm by Minister of Agriculture, Dr Brian Chituwo, in Chiawa yesterday.

In the company of Zambeef PLC Chairman, Dr Jacob Mwanza and senior management staff, Managing Director, Mr Francis Grogan, told Dr Chituwo that at the time of the acquisition only 940 hectares were farmed with 13 centre pivots. But since then, the hectorage has been increased to 1,620.

Mr Grogan said Zambeef has embarked on the construction of a 6.6 kilometre pipeline, which is the largest irrigation pipeline in Sub sahara Africa, to supply water to a further 540 hectares for the summer crop which will take the total hectorgae to 2,150 with 34 centre pivots. This will also open up to supply another 1,200 hectares and bring the total number of pivots on the farm to 50. The pipeline is expected to be commissioned in October this year.

Chiawa Farm is bordered by the Zambezi and Kafue rivers below all Zambia’s power stations in Lusaka rural north-east of Chirundu border. Zambeef is utilizing water that would otherwise have been lost with no commercial value to Zambia. The farm has a total hectorage of 10,000 hectares.

On the Sinazongwe and Chiawa farms, Zambeef grows in rotation winter wheat and maize followed by summer soya beans and maize.

Mr Grogan said following the full development of the farm at Chisamba as well as the Sinazongwe farm which has been fully developed to 2,000 hectares of irrigation since its acquisition in 2004, Zambeef has become the single largest row cropping operation in Sub Sahara Africa with 5,000 hectares under irrigation producing 60,000 metric tones of grain per annum.

“Zambeef is always seeking opportunities that will allow it to grow in a competitive manner and thereby contribute both to the company’s wealth, that of its shareholders, and the Zambian economy in general,” Mr Grogan said.

With all these expansions, Mr Grogan said this was proof that Zambeef was 100 percent committed to agricultural development in Zambia and that it was part and parcel of the company’s “policy of adding value through our production chain”.

“This helps provide badly needed food security for Zambia and eliminates the need for expensive grain imports. It also creates employment for thousands of local people in underdeveloped rural parts of Zambia,” he said.

During the conducted tour of the farm, Zambeef PLC Chairman, Dr Jacob Mwanza said since the company’s incorporation in June, 1994, Zambeef’s vision has been to grow, expand and diversify the business with the aim of being the leading food provider in Zambia and the region.