TRENDS AND IMPACTS OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRY AGRICULTURE

ZAMBIA
Trends and impacts of foreign investment in
developing country agriculture
three farm blocks, each with a separate 99 year
lease. Farm number 4451 (Nampamba, 22 921
hectares) and farm number 4450 (Chambatata,
12 490 hectares) are used for crop production,
while farm number 5388 (Kampemba, 11 463
hectares) is used for ranching. Of the total land
area, 10 661 hectares are currently developed, of
which 3 000 hectares are under irrigation. Various
crops are produced, the mix sometimes changing
from year to year. In the last production season,
this mix consisted of wheat, maize, soybeans,
rice, mixed (dried) beans, barley and jatropha. The
“traditional” crops (wheat, maize and soybeans)
handled by ETC BioEnergy, however, have been
grown for almost as long as the farm has existed.
Of the traditional crop, wheat is exclusively grown
as an irrigated crop while soybeans and maize are
mostly rain fed. In recent years, the company has
also produced winter maize, which is irrigated.
The map in Chart 1 shows the location of
the districts where the two projects are situated.
CHART 1
Mpongwe and Mazabuka Districts, where the projects are located
Source: Adapted from 2010 Census of Population and Housing Preliminary Report
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The map also shows the overall, comparative
population growth rate for the districts.
1.1 Research methodology
The research methodology involved interviews
with company management and staff, villagers
and other stakeholders. At the MDC, the research
team conducted face-to-face, semi-structured
interviews with company management; the
Mpongwe District Council; a former member of
Parliament who presided over land negotiations
in the 1970s; residents of Mpongwe, and a focus
group discussion with residents of the area of
one of the chiefs who owned and controlled the
land acquired by the Mpongwe Development
Company (designated “Chief N” in this chapter).
Similarly, at Kascol, the research team held faceto-face,
semi-structured interviews with company
management, and focus group discussions
with two groups of outgrowers (both men and