A Guide to Agribusiness in Zambia. Untapped Opportunities
Felix Tembo
Synopsis "A Guide to Agribusiness in Zambia. Untapped Opportunities "
Zambia has faced several challenges in its quest to attain economic development and as well as economic independence. One sector that the country has endeavoured to develop for a very long time is agribusiness. Agriculture besides mining is the oldest and significant industry to Zambia’s foreign exchange earnings and it contributes about twenty-five percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Since the slump in the copper prices, production of copper has gone down leading to declined exports. This has resulted in reduced forex inflows from the mining as it is the major contributor to the economy. After privatization of major industries including the mines in early 90s, Agriculture has become one of the key sectors and it is also the largest provider of employment opportunities in the country, contributing over seventy percent of jobs in the country. This book tries to profile the progression of agribusiness development in the country. It brings out some of the salient points that have led to agribusiness stagnation for over fifty years after independence. It also highlights some of the policy mistakes the country has made as a country and in some cases, provides suggestions for possible solutions. It emphasizes the fact that agriculture sector can be a cornerstone of the manufacturing sector. The book also highlights some of the great potential the country has and some other sectors that have great opportunities for investments. The book clearly points out the key sectors as being agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing. In the closing chapter, the book draws the readers to some of the articles that were published with three local tabloids from 2012 to 2018 to give it a practical touch of agribusiness and some of the successes achieved thus far.
