ZAMBEEF IMPRESSES SOUTH AMERICAN FARMERS

Regional agribusiness giant hosts visiting Argentinian and Uruguayan farmers

Zambeef’s Huntley Farm General Manager Francis Mondomona (centre) explains the company’s feedlot operations in Chisamba to visiting farmers from Argentine and Uruguary.

“Zambia is the future of African agriculture” – that’s the message from a group of visiting South American commercial farmers who toured operations at Zambeef Products’ Huntley Farm in Chisamba at the weekend.

Visiting farmers from Argentine and Uruguary inspect Zambeef’s feedlot in Chisamba.

Zambeef hosted some 16 farmers from Argentina and Uruquay, who inspected the company’s meat processing plant, feedlot and cropping operations as part of a wider tour of South Africa and Zambia.

Zambeef’s Huntley Farm General Manager Francis Mondomona (centre) with tour leader Prof. Enrique Erize and his farming colleagues from Argentine and Uruguary inspect Zambeef’s wheat crop in Chisamba.

“We are impressed with Zambeef. It is very good,” said group leader Prof. Enrique Erize. “We think that Africa is the future of agriculture in the world; and Zambia is the future inside Africa.”

Zambeef’s Huntley Farm General Manager Francis Mondomona (centre) with tour leader Prof. Enrique Erize and his farming colleagues from Argentine and Uruguary inspect Zambeef’s wheat crop in Chisamba.

“We think that the future is Zambia because of the location, because of the kind of soil, and because of the rain,” he added, pointing out that Zambia is home to 40 percent of the water resources in Southern Africa, and that globally, 80 percent of water is used for agriculture.

The South American visitors – who farm a variety of crops such as wheat, soybeans and maize in their home counties – were particularly interested to hear about Zambeef’s cropping operations.

Zambeef Head of Corporate and Public affairs Felix Lupindula (second left), with visiting farmers from Argentina and Uruguay, Zambia national Farmers’ nion Head of Outreach and membership Colliard Hamusimbi (left) and Zambeef Crop Manager Kelvin Zulu (right).

Zambeef does not use genetically modified (GMO) seed in its soya and maize production or indeed any other grain crop, explained Huntley Farm General Manager Francis Mondomona. Despite our colleagues in advanced agricultural economies like Argentina and Brazil that have GMO soya and maize, our yields per hectare  are still very competitive with non-GMO seed.

He emphasised that Zambia is the only country in the region with a wheat surplus, and that Zambeef is the largest single producer of wheat and soybeans in the country.