Editorial Opinion: Zambia Can Learn From Africa’s Soybean Exporters to Unlock the Chinese Market

China’s growing interest in sourcing soybeans from Zambia is not happening in isolation. Several African countries have already entered the Chinese soybean market, providing valuable lessons on how Zambia can position itself competitively while ensuring fair returns for farmers.

Countries such as Tanzania, Benin, Ethiopia and South Africa have all secured access to the Chinese soybean market in recent years, proving that Africa is slowly becoming part of China’s strategy to diversify soybean imports beyond traditional suppliers like Brazil, the United States and Argentina.

The scale of the opportunity is enormous.

China consumes over 100 million metric tonnes of soybeans annually, yet produces only a fraction domestically, forcing the country to rely heavily on imports. Tanzania’s embassy in Beijing estimated China’s annual soybean demand at about 103 million tonnes, with over 80 million tonnes imported every year.

This means Zambia’s proposed three million metric tonne opportunity represents only a small share of China’s total import demand, making the market realistically achievable if the country builds the right systems.

Lessons From Benin: Market Access Can Transform Rural Economies

Benin offers one of the strongest case studies for Zambia.

In 2019, China and Benin signed a soybean export protocol, and by 2022 Benin had exported more than 210,000 tonnes of soybeans to China, accounting for over 60 percent of the country’s total soybean exports.

The Benin example demonstrates how securing a reliable international market can quickly stimulate local production and farmer confidence. However, Benin also highlights the importance of government support in securing export protocols, quality standards and logistics coordination.

For Zambia, this means diplomacy and trade negotiations are just as important as production itself.

Tanzania’s Experience: Smallholder Inclusion Matters

Tanzania’s soybean export arrangement with China focused heavily on opening opportunities for local companies and farmers. Chinese customs authorities approved 49 Tanzanian companies to export soybeans directly into China.

This is important because export opportunities should not be concentrated in only a few large corporations. Zambia must ensure that farmer cooperatives, aggregators and local agribusinesses are included in the value chain.

If properly structured, soybean exports can empower smallholder farmers through aggregation centres, contract farming and warehouse receipt systems that give farmers bargaining power.

South Africa’s Approach: Public-Private Partnerships Work

South Africa recently entered the Chinese soybean market with its first shipment of 39,300 metric tonnes delivered to China. The country is expected to export around 147,000 tonnes during the marketing year.

One major lesson from South Africa is the importance of collaboration between government and the private sector. The trade protocols, phytosanitary agreements and export systems were achieved through coordinated efforts between industry associations and government institutions.

Zambia must take a similar approach by bringing together government ministries, exporters, seed companies, financial institutions and farmer organisations to create a national soybean export strategy.

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The Biggest Question: Will Farmers Benefit Fairly?

While export opportunities are attractive, Zambia must avoid creating a system where farmers produce more but earn less.

Historically, commodity markets often favour traders and middlemen when transparent pricing systems are weak. This can leave farmers vulnerable to price manipulation, delayed payments and exploitative contract arrangements.

To avoid this, Zambia needs:

• Transparent commodity pricing linked to international soybean prices.
• Strong farmer cooperatives and aggregation systems.
• Warehouse receipt systems to prevent distress selling.
• Affordable financing so farmers are not forced to sell immediately after harvest.
• Clear export regulations that encourage competition among buyers.
• Investment in local processing to increase domestic value addition.

Without these protections, farmers risk carrying the production burden while larger players capture most of the profits.

Zambia Must Think Beyond Raw Exports

Another key lesson from global soybean markets is that the real profits are often made in processing rather than raw exports.

Soybeans are critical for cooking oil, stock feed, poultry production and industrial food manufacturing. China’s demand is largely driven by animal feed and edible oil industries.

This means Zambia should not only focus on exporting raw beans but also on developing crushing plants, edible oil industries and stock feed manufacturing.

A strong soybean industry could stimulate growth in poultry, aquaculture and livestock sectors while creating thousands of jobs across the agricultural value chain.

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Can Zambia Reach Three Million Tonnes?

The target is ambitious but possible over time.

According to USDA trade data, Zambia is already among soybean exporting countries, though currently at a much smaller scale estimated around 30,000 tonnes in export rankings.

To reach three million tonnes sustainably, Zambia would need:

• Massive expansion in irrigation.
• Improved access to certified seed.
• Mechanisation support for farmers.
• Better rural roads and storage infrastructure.
• Affordable agricultural financing.
• Strong extension services and productivity training.

Most importantly, Zambia must maintain farmer confidence through predictable and fair markets.

Agricoop News Africa’s View

China’s interest in Zambian soybeans should be viewed as more than just an export opportunity. It is an opportunity to transform Zambia into a regional agribusiness powerhouse.

However, success will not come from production alone. It will depend on whether Zambia can build a soybean economy that is transparent, competitive and inclusive.

The countries already exporting to China show that access to the market is possible. The real challenge is building systems that ensure ordinary farmers become long-term beneficiaries rather than spectators in their own industry.

If Zambia gets this right, soybeans could become one of the country’s most strategic agricultural exports for decades to come.

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