Zambia's finance minister is pushing for the country to move away from its dependence on mineral exports in the wake of the collapse of its copper mining industry.

"We certainly have to diversify from copper production to agriculture and other areas that will bring about economic growth," said Finance Minister Emmanuel Kasonde.

"We can no longer depend on copper."

Export earnings from copper and cobalt now bring in about 75% of Zambia's foreign currency earnings, but copper prices in particular have fallen steeply in recent months.

Zambia's copper industry has also suffered a blow from mining giant Anglo-American's decision to withdraw from the huge Konkola mine on the grounds that production is no longer profitable.

Copper from Konkola accounts for 67% of the country's metal exports.

Copper crisis

Mr Kasonde was speaking ahead of a three-day conference on diversifying the country's economy in the town of Kitwe, about 400 miles north of the capital, Lusaka.

However, diversification is unlikely to be straightforward, according to Chileshe Mulenga, the director of the Institute for Economic and Social Research (IESR) in Lusaka.

"It is one thing to say you want to diversify and another to actually diversify," said Mr Mulenga.

"Zambia must first put in place infrastructure that would have to support small and medium-scale businesses and even agriculture," he warned.

Food emergency

He also called for land allocation reforms.

Zambia is suffering from acute food shortages and has received emergency aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Zambian government has been holding talks with Anglo-American over the future of the Konkola mine, which is the country's biggest employer.

Zambia wants up to $200m in exit payments from Anglo-American, including short-term financing, and an agreement to keep its management team at Konkola for at least 12 months.

However, the copper industry got a boost on Monday as Australian firm Equinox said it would invest $450m (�309m) in the open-cast Lumwama mine in tandem with its US partner Phelps Dodge.

The Lumwana mine is expected to produce 106,000 tonnes of copper a year from 2006, said Equinox managing director Craig Williams.