German agribusiness firm Amatheon-Agri has invested in a major irrigation project in Zambia
The company has reportedly put around US$20mn into the construction of two dams – Katonga and Abba – in the southern African country’s Mumbwa District, to the west of the capital, Lusaka.
“We have invested about US$20mn in the construction of these two dams,” Amatheon CEO Carl Bruhn is quoted by The Times of Zambia as saying. “The Katonga dam site is being constructed at a cost of US$10mn and we have invested US$10mn in the Abba dam site. Our company chose to invest in Zambia due to its strong agricultural potential, the growing population, robust economy and stable government.”
The project at Katonga, which is scheduled for completion in 2017, is a joint venture with the Japanese Toyota Tsusho Corporation, and aims to provide water to 2,700 ha of land that is being developed for growing maize, wheat and soya.
The Abba dam site forms part of a farming block expansion that complements the development of a 10,000 ha block for irrigated farming operations, cattle ranching and rain-fed cropping.
