Zambia is a landlocked country in southern Africa with an area of 752.600 km2 and a population of about 12.9 million (according to the 2009 statistics). Zambia has many natural resources, especially copper (reserves of one billion tonnes, accounting for over 50 percent of export earnings in foreign currency). Zambia is also rich in zinc, cobalt, gold, uranium and lead. However, there is no seaway in Zambia so it’s difficult to import and export goods. The mining industry is relatively well developed; agricultural industries include livestock, cotton, vegetables, maize, tobacco and sugar cane. However, Zambia now has to import machinery, petroleum and food, especially rice.
According to Ms Le Bich Ngoc from the Institute for Africa and Middle East Studies in one of her articles in the Journal of Africa and Middle East Studies, in the situation of the current economic development, Zambia faces many challenges such as poverty, unemployment and rapid population growth, while agricultural production conditions of low productivity, poor agricultural infrastructure and increasing levels of negative effects of climate change, are great challenges to Zambia. Because more than two thirds of Zambia's population live on the agriculture sector, it is very important to economic growth. Reform in agriculture is an effective tool to achieve food security, poverty reduction and a key driver for economic growth.
Vietnam and several African countries, Zambia in particular, have many similarities such as being developing countries, having economies heavily dependent on agriculture and the big percentage of population earning income from agriculture. Vietnam and African countries (including Zambia) have established friendly relations and comprehensive cooperation for a long time. On September 15, 1972, Vietnam and Zambia began diplomatic relations. The two countries have much potential for cooperation in many areas, especially agriculture.
In terms of agricultural science and technology, Vietnam and Zambia can build collaborative programmes of agricultural experts. Vietnamese agricultural experts can help Zambian farmers build a rice growing model, transfer and guide breeding, planting, care, and pest control techniques, produce rice with farmers, propose project to establish research centres, encourage agricultural expansion and rice production, seek funding from third countries, transfer cultivation, animal husbandry, agro-processing technology and provide Zambia with small agricultural machinery and high-yielding rice varieties.
In addition, Zambia and Vietnam also have potential for cooperation in the fields of agricultural production of rice, the development of rubber, coffee, cashew nuts, fruit, vegetables and aquaculture. Zambia can import rice from Vietnam because Vietnam is now one of the leading rice exporters in the world and Vietnam’s rice prices are cheaper than other countries, in line with the economic status of Zambia. In contrast, Vietnam can import cotton from Zambia for the domestic textile industry. Tobacco is another commodity that Zambia can export to Vietnam.
In fact, Vietnam and Zambia have much agriculture cooperation potential untapped; though the two countries still face many difficulties and challenges such as complex administrative procedures and loose coordination between agencies of Zambia. Many cooperation agreements were signed but have not been implemented due to financial difficulties. However, there are some good conditions in that both Vietnam and Zambia have given priority to boosting agricultural cooperation to ensure food security, contributing to poverty reduction. The two governments have also organised workshops to provide development orientation and build win-win cooperation in the agricultural sector in the future.
Anh Mai
Vietnamese
