Snowy Mountains Limited expects the landmark Agri-Tanga proposal for Tanzania to employ almost 350 people.

Company consultant and director Bruce Campbell, from Bullioh, said that included 300 local jobs from the vertically integrated meat production project.

Agri-Tanga has been described as a “pioneering” integrated farming operation, located on a 5000 hectare site. It has come about through a joint-venture with African-based Amboni Sisal Properties.

The project involves converting land once used for sisal production into grain – both chick peas and maize – and fodder production, grain storage and feedlot facilities for cattle, sheep and goats.

Mr Campbell said it would take two years to build the grain and feedlot infrastructure near the town of Pangani, with much of the farm machinery and irrigation equipment coming from Australia.

The plan is for 17 centre pivots fed by ground and surface water to produce maize, sorghum and lucerne crops to supply the feedlot.

This will have a capacity of 25,000 head, with projections of 100,000 cattle a year that in turn would produce 17,500 tonnes of beef for domestic and live-export markets.

The project – utilising Australian beef genetics and skilled staff – includes a wholesale supermarket servicing major chain stores, hotels, restaurants and meat retailers.

Australians skilled in feedlot nutrition and management, cropping, abattoir management and heavy machinery maintenance would be recruited.

Snowy Mountains Limited is a consortium of farmers with expertise in broadacre farming, livestock management and cattle breeding. It specialises in agribusiness management, advisory and consultancy services across the world with a focus on environmental sustainability.

The company facilitates large-scale farming projects in areas suffering technological deficiencies, its staff working with governments, corporations and private equity partners on soil fertility, grass budgeting, animal health, cattle breeding and selection, nutrition, grassland management, precision farming and disease protocols.

Business development manager Robert Holst said the company aimed to export Australian agribusiness expertise and skill.

“We think Tanzania is a great place to start (as) the African continent will grow its population from one billion to two billion people in less than 40 years,’’ he said.

“The plan for Agri-Tanga has been fully drafted, we have our land in Tanzania and our team is ready to go, but we are still seeking funding for this project to work.”