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Agriculture
ing increased by 60 percent, sugar production rose
to more than 420,000 tonnes in March 2010 from
192,186 tonnes in the previoius year.
Other Zambian sugar producers are Kafue Sugar
Company near Lusaka and Kawambwa Sugar.
Owned by Consolidated Farming, Kafue Sugar cur-
rently produces around 28,000 tonnes of sugar an-
nually, and is planning an US$ 8 million expansion
that will increase production to 40,000 tonnes.
Cotton
Since the initiation of major agricultural reforms and
privatization of the industry in the early 1990s, cotton
production and processing has grown rapidly. Some
80 percent of Zambia’s cotton is produced in Eastern
Province, with Central and Southern provinces ac-
counting for 11 percent and 8 percent respectively.
As cotton is largely a small-scale farming crop its
potential role in poverty alleviation and food security
is huge. Cotton now ranks as one of the most im-
portant sources of crop income among small-scale
farmers and agribusiness firms. Out-growers largely
undertake production of cotton, while two cotton-
ginning companies, Dunavant and Cargill, dominate
the ginning operations of the subsector. Dunavant is
Zambia’s leading cotton ginner, while Cargill, which
acquired Clark Cotton in 2006, has around 500 em-
ployees based in Chipata, continues to grow.
Tobacco
Zambia produces as well as processes both Burley
and Virginia tobacco, with the Central and Eastern
provinces being the most favourable for the crop.
Some 83 percent of Burley tobacco is grown in the
Eastern Province. Zambian tobacco has received
a grade of high quality and flavour, and due to in-
creased demand, has witnessed substantial increas-
es in production. This is being fuelled to some extent
by a reduction of tobacco cultivation in Zimbabwe.
Zambian tobacco, similar to that grown in Zimbabwe,
is therefore easily able to fill the gap left by a deci-
mated Zimbabwean tobacco production industry.
Out-grower schemes have increased commercial
production, and there has developed room for small,
medium and large-scale production. According to the
International Tobacco Growers’ Association, tobacco
production in Zambia is currently 7.5 times more
profitable per hectare than maize production and 14
times more profitable than cotton. The techniques
used to grow quality tobacco help to improve other
crops, and the residual fertilizer effect for farmers
that practice crop rotation cannot be overstated.
Coffee
Coffee is grown in the Zambian highlands. The main
markets are Japan, the United Kingdom (UK), South
Africa, USA, Dubai and Germany. While the coun-
try is a relatively small producer, demand has been
increasing due to the high quality of Arabica coffee
produced in Zambia, and increases in production are
set to move forward with the entry into niche coffee
markets elsewhere in Europe.
Horticulture and Floriculture
Both floriculture and horticulture do exceedingly well
in Zambia’s temperate climate. Production of fresh
vegetables and flowers mainly for export, recorded
significant growth during the early part of the dec-
ade. As both subsectors are highly labour intensive,
they are promoted as part of government’s poverty
reduction programme in agriculture.
Development in the subsector has been marked
by investment in year-round irrigated production by
medium and large-scale farmers, as well as the ex-
pansion of out-grower schemes. Zambia produces
more than 60 varieties of cut flowers, and is focusing
on the expansion of rose production, which mostly
supplies the EU, in particular, the Netherlands. Other
important national export markets are the UK, Ger-
many, and South Africa.
Tropical fruits and fresh vegetables grown in Zambia
also are prominently featured in the export markets
of the UK, South Africa, Germany, the Netherlands,
Australia, New Zealand, Norway and France. The
increase of pre-packaging of vegetables in Zambia
has added value to such horticultural exports in re-
cent years.
Seeds
Encompassing all public and private activities in
plant breeding, variety development, seed produc-
tion and distribution, the seed industry in Zambia
includes formal and informal sectors. The Seed
Control and Certification Institute (SCCI) is the seed
certification authority in Zambia, providing seed
quality control services to private seed companies,
seed programmes, NGOs, seed traders and farm-
ers. The Zambia Seed Trade Association (ZASTA)
is the national seed association that looks after the
interest of all players in the country’s seed trade.
The seed industry has registered increased par-
ticipation by the private sector, with research being