Copper, a significant economic driver in Zambia, had taken the country so far but would not be able to take it any further, said Zambian Deputy Agriculture and Livestock Minister Maxas Ng’onga at the recent opening of the AGCO Future Farm training centre, in Lusaka, Zambia.

As Africa’s second-largest copper producer, Zambia, which is gearing up to host the Copperbelt Mining Trade Expo and Conference next month, in Kitwe, has been hit by depressed copper prices, which are compounded by escalating operating and labour costs, and controversial taxation measures.

Zambia Chamber of Mines president Nathan Chishimba in December called for a considered approach by the Zambian government and industry to look at what measures needed to be put in place to support high growth in the mining industry and create a diversified economy.

“Working together, we have to create a high-growth diversified economy which spreads risk and opportunities across the economy, creates more jobs and widens the tax base,” he said.

Therefore, Ng’onga explained that agriculture diversification was very high on the Zambian government’s agenda, noting that this aim could be realised through mechanisation.

He highlighted that, in Zambia, 1.2 t/ha was produced when planting maize by hand, a method used by 77% of farmers in Africa, while 8.5 t/ha was yielded under mechanisation, used effectively by about 4% of African farmers.

American agricultural equipment manufac-turer AGCO opened its Zambian training centre for English-speaking Africa after four years of development, showcasing its global brand, Massey Ferguson, which was spearheading the company’s strategy to transform African agriculture through inclusive and sustainable mechanisation.

The training centre, based on a 148 ha farm in Chongwe that cost between $12-million and $15-million to develop, accounted for $3.6-million of that spend, AGCO Corporation director of operations Africa and the Middle East Nuradin Osman told Engineering News.