Opportunity of Note to Farm in Africa - for Sale in Choma, Southern, Zambia

Viable Tobacco Farming Operation on Offer as a Going Concern

The owner plans to immigrate due to family commitments and has the following to offer potential investors, until such time as the property is disposed of farming, fishing and enjoying the unrestricted lifestyle will continue as a going concern.

The farm is fully operational and will be sold lock stock and barrel bar the cattle, walk out, walk in and you carry on farming.

Soils are deep sandy loam, the altitude is between 1200 and 1300 meters above sea level and the farm is the premier tobacco growing area of Zambia. The farm is ring and paddock fenced, has cattle handling facilities and spray race.

There are 344 ha of cleared fields
834 ha is natural vegetation and waterways

The farm has easy access to a good tar road linking Lusaka and Livingstone.

There are four 25ha pivot circles cleared and are serviced by a T/L towable pivot, Irrigation water is supplied by boreholes feeding a 5,250,000 liter night storage dam. At present there is enough water to do 25 ha fully irrigated or 50 ha supplementary. Additional boreholes are ready for fitting to increase this hectarage. There is a dam on the Western boundary of the farm but the water rights are tied up with Choma municipality, should the new owner wish to utilise this water they would have to raise the dam wall. There are 16 potential pivot sites marked using satellite imagery.

The cropping program for the 2011 / 2012 season will be 50 ha irrigated tobacco, 25 ha sun hemp, 25 ha katambora rhodes grass 50 ha Soy beans or maize and either 25ha of winter wheat or lupins depending on the market. Preparation is ongoing and up to date. There is room for increased areas under cultivation should available finance and the market justify it.

There are 10 forced air drying systems, 2 use coal fired automatic stokers, the other 8 use radiators connected to a hot water kettle, (these are currently used for tobacco but can be adapted to dry any farm produce), pressurised steam boiler, 16 conventional tobacco barns, brick and stone shed, workshop and various out buildings adequate to handle the proposed program. Equipment includes 5 tractors, 4 trailers, 3 water carts, plough, dam scoop, grader, ridger, ripper, crop sprayer and various bits and pieces again adequate for the program, all well maintained and in good working order. Vehicles are a 2006 Nissan hardbody double cab in immaculate condition, a Mitsubishi 1 ton pick up, old and solid and being used daily and a Toyota surf imported 2nd hand from Japan. There are 2 motorbikes, 1 a Honda 200 trail bike and a disposable Jailing.

The farm is supplied with 3 phase electricity through two transformers, one 160 kva the other 15 kva, there is a 100 kva standby generator.

The owner lives on the farm, farmhouse is rustic and set in mature gardens, has all amenities and a thriving orchard. There is a self contained cottage next to the main homestead and a Managers house built from stone under zinc.

A junior co-ed boarding school which takes pupils from grade 0 to 7 is 150 km West of the farm in Mazabuka, there is a weekly bus service from Choma to and from the school on Monday morning and Friday afternoon, the school has a fine reputation and can be found on the web if you Google in Musikili school.

Senior education is usually done in South Africa through Livingstone international airport 190 km East of the farm.

Due to the time needed to obtain immigration permits and any finance that may be required a potential investor would need to start preparation well before the new season.

Any crops in storage are not included in the sale.