‘Zambia will become the rising star in the region’ says ZNFU in the run-up to Agritech Expo in Chisamba

‘Zambia will become the rising star in the region’ says ZNFU in the run-up to Agritech Expo in Chisamba
“We are ready to present Zambia with a full-scale, live agriculture event”

“With support of government and our core support partners there is no doubt in my mind that Zambia will become the rising star in the region because with the government on our side, nothing is impossible to achieve,” says Mr Ndambo Ndambo, Executive Director of the ZNFU (Zambian National Farmers’ Union). The ZNFU is a key founding partner in the upcoming Agritech Expo, where thousands of agri-professionals are expected to gather from 4-5 April at GART in Chisamba.

Says Mr Ndambo: “the Agritech Expo in our view is an exciting undertaking, in particular that the Zambian National Farmers’ Union is an initiating partner bringing this kind of platform for the first time in Zambia. We are confident that the expo will be able to ignite interest to the members of the Union and the entire agricultural sector to take advantage of the variety of technologies to choose from to make their farming businesses a success. It could not have come at a better time.”

Technology challenges in agri
According to the ZNFU Executive Director Agritech Expo will address a major challenge to the Zambian agri-sector, namely lack of investment in technology: “we need to mechanize and we need bring in modern agricultural technology, by which I mean modern technology in agricultural machinery, seed, livestock etc. That is key if we want to achieve our goals as a dependable pole for the agricultural evolution in the region and beyond. I think the Agritech Expo is one of such interventions that we are using to bring technology home for our farmers to partake of.”

Zambia’s Vice President Dr Guy Scott and the new Zambian Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, the Honourable Minister Wylbur Simuusa, will both attend Agritech Expo.   The Vice President will deliver a keynote address during the Agribusiness Congress on 4 April and be the guest of honour at the opening ceremony to the expo.  The new Minister will also be an honoured guest at the event.

“Farmers can get their hands dirty”
Says Agritech Expo director Liam Becket: “we are ready to present Zambia with a full-scale, live agriculture event, offering everything from live crop trials to first-hand demonstrations of the latest in large scale agricultural machinery. It will be a practical show where visitors will be able to get their hands dirty and be able to experience what is on offer. “

Another key partner in the event, the USAID’s Southern African Trade Hub, will present free workshops designed particularly for small holders and emerging commercial farmers, to provide them with the basic information and context to better understand the technologies that are on display and available.

The global agri giant AGCO has already confirmed its exclusive diamond sponsorship for Agritech Expo while Stanbic Bank is a platinum sponsor.  Other sponsors include:  AFGRI, Action Auto, SARO, John Deere, BASF, Seed-Co, EFE, Du Pont-Pioneer, Valtra, K2, Kempston, Monsanto, Greenbelt, HarvestPlus, Lindsay, Zamseed, NWK and Rovic Leers.

The expo is free to attend for all agricultural professionals who pre-register, or arrive with an event ticket.

Event dates and location:
Expo:  4-5 April 2014
Conference:  4 April 2014
Location:  GART Research Centre, Chisamba, Zambia
Web:  www.agritech-expo.com

Agritech Expo is organised by leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, Spintelligent Pty.

Contact:
Communications manager:  Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone:  +27 21 700 3558
mobile:  +27 82 562 7844
Email:  annemarie.roodbol@spintelligent.com