New farm block on cards in Kawambwa

GOVERNMENT has sourced a total of K1.4 billion (KR 1.4 million) to facilitate establishment of the 110,000 hectare Luena Farm Bloc in Kawambwa District.
Kawambwa District Commissioner Ivo Mpasa confirmed the development in from Kawambwa yesterday.
Mr Mpasa said the district administration received the KR K1.4 million which was part of the funds needed for the multi-million Kwacha project before the close of last year.
He said Government had dispatched a team of agricultural specialists into the field to demarcate at least 10,000 hectares which was the core venture of the project.
The farm bloc is expected to cater for a multi-million Kwacha sugarcane plantation, a processing plant
and an out-grower scheme.
“As I am speaking to you right now, we have dispatched a team of officers from the Ministry of Agriculture into the field to do the demarcation of the core venture of this project after which the land will be given to the investor interested in the development of this project,” Mr Mpasa said.
Mr Mpasa said the demarcation works which commenced last week were expected to be completed in the next two weeks.
He said a number of investors were interested but Government would have to come up with one potential investor from those that would respond to the advertisement.
He said out of the 110,000 hectares of land 10,000 hectares would be allocated to the investor for the core venture of the project, while other farms would be given to outgrower farmers and that they would range from 25 to 250 hectares.
He also said that farms ranging from 500 hectares upwards, would be allocated to commercial farmers who had capacity to develop them.
Mr Mpasa said so far, more than 300 small holder farms had already been demarcated and that, government was this year expected to start construction of the dams so that activities in the farm bloc could
start.