Story by Stanley James, Business Editor
ZIMBABWE and Zambia are working on the establishment of an agriculture industrial park which is expected to bolster regional industrialisation.
The two countries have revealed commitment to the joint venture which will result in the establishment of the park in Victoria Falls after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in March 2021.
The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr Sekai Nzenza, who spoke on the sidelines of a COMESA business meeting held in Zambia recently, said the agro-industrial park which will be located on each side of the two countries on the Victoria Falls boarder and is aimed at boosting industrialisation.
“The project is one of our key initiatives premised on the industrial development agenda so it is how we can both speed up the relevant modalities towards implementation in order to ensure we are not lagging behind in terms of set timelines and deadlines,” said Minister Nzenza.
The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade in Zambia, Honourable Chipoka Mulenga revealed the importance of ensuring that the project becomes a reality.
“The discussions to ensure that the entire project becomes a reality are on course to such an extent that this initiative will be critical in serving the needs of the two countries, while also facilitating more trade between the two nations,” Honourable Mulenga noted.
According to the proposed design, the park will promote processing of agricultural products such as cotton, maize, wheat, rice, soyabeans, sugar, livestock, leather dairy and horticulture.
Other key partners in the resource mobilisation for the park include the COMESA Secretariat, United Nations Economic for Africa and the African Development Bank.