Zambia and Brazil Forge Agri-Alliance to Unlock Lobito Corridor’s Farming Potential
Zambia has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening cooperation with Brazil as part of a strategic mission aimed at supporting the development of an agricultural master plan under the Lobito Railway Development Corridor.
Leading the Zambian delegation are Finance and National Planning Minister Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane and Agriculture Minister Mtolo Phiri. The high-level visit includes engagements with Brazilian counterparts and institutions to secure technical support, investment, and knowledge transfer.
Joining the ministers is a multi-disciplinary delegation, including Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) Kusobile Kamwambi, Permanent Secretary for Economic Management and Finance Mulele Maketo Mulelekwa, Public-Private Dialogue Forum Director General Andrew Chipwende, and Zambia’s Ambassador to Brazil Glyne Michelo. The team also includes experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and the World Bank.
During bilateral meetings, PDU Head Kamwambi outlined four core principles guiding Zambia’s mission to Brazil:
- Resource mobilisation with an emphasis on low-cost capital solutions;
- Skills and technology transfer to strengthen Zambia’s long-term capacity;
- Mutual benefit partnerships that treat stakeholders as equals; and
- Local value addition and beneficiation to spur inclusive development and job creation.
Kamwambi emphasized that the visit aligns with Zambia’s presidential priorities, which include expanding beef production and trade, crop cultivation, irrigation infrastructure, agro-processing, and storage development.
“From the PDU perspective, this mission is a critical step toward galvanizing trade and investment interest, as well as technical cooperation in key sectors like renewable energy, agriculture, and livestock,” she said.
The delegation expressed optimism that the engagements in Brazil will help unlock sustainable agricultural transformation in Zambia, particularly along the Lobito Corridor—a critical trade and development link between Zambia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
