First Zambian soybean shipment heads to China: 120 tonnes, a trial run

LUSAKA. The Chinese Embassy in Zambia says the first Zambian soybean shipment to China has been sent. Ecofin Agency reports that the 120-tonne consignment left Zambia on 10 October. The beans came from CAMCO Demonstration Farms in Serenje, Central Province. Background from Ecofin: a phytosanitary protocol was signed on 5 September 2024 during President Hichilema's visit to Beijing for the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. Chinese customs added Zambia to its list of approved soybean exporters in April 2025. Ecofin does not name the buyer. It says officials discussed purchases, varieties and quality standards in May 2026. China's zero-tariff policy for African goods took effect on 1 May 2026. Some products are covered only up to a quota. We have not confirmed which category covers Zambian soybeans. Ecofin does not mention tariffs or quotas. The earlier note of a 3 million tonne target by 2031 came from the embassy post. We could not find it in Ecofin or elsewhere, so treat it as unverified. Ecofin cites World Bank data that Zambia exported about 13,658 tonnes of soybeans in 2024, mainly to Zimbabwe. By our arithmetic, 120 tonnes is under 1 percent of that. China imported about 111.83 million tonnes in 2025, so 120 tonnes is a trial. An earlier Ecofin projection put the 2025/26 Zambian harvest at about 450,000 tonnes (record: about 760,000 in 2023). Against the 3 million tonne target, 120 tonnes would be about 0.004 percent. A first shipment shows that the route works. It is not yet a market. The question for farmers is price, volume, who buys, and whether small growers can supply at scale. The government wants agriculture to drive growth. Export markets are part of that plan. A route to China only helps if production and logistics keep up. The shipment is now confirmed by the embassy post and Ecofin, but Ecofin appears to rely on the embassy. We found no Zambian government confirmation.