China CAMC Engineering states that it is dedicated to supporting the growth of Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector, and has reached an agreement with Zimbabwe’s Agriculture Rural Development Authority (ARDA) to invest US$200 million over five years to revive operations at Arda Mushumbi Pools Estate through the development of the sites irrigation systems.

 

China representative at China CAMC Engineering, Wang Kailong, stated that the company is interested in building a dam at Arda Mushumbi Pools that would have the capacity to irrigate approximately 1,000 hectares and would generate about 15 MW of electricity.

 

The power generated by the dam would then be used to provide power for a cotton gin and fruit cannery that China CAMC Engineering plans to establish at the site.

 

“We have already signed a contract with ARDA for us to build a dam, a cotton ginnery and a fruit canning plant at Mushumbi Pools,” said Kailong. “The dam that we intend to build will also have the capacity to generate about 15MW of electricity that will provide power to the ginnery and canning plant that we want to set up at Mushumbi Pools.”

 

Since 2002, China CAMC Engineering has supplied Zimbabwe with agricultural machinery including tractors, combines, and harvesters at a value of US$58 million.

 

The money for the Arda Mushumbi project is currently being sourced from Chinese banks.