By OLIVER SAMBOKO
THE planned ban on importation of selected dairy products will lead to more investment in the local dairy sector, Dairy Association of Zambia (DAZ) Executive Director Jeremiah Kasalo has said.
He said the move would also help create more jobs in the country.
Mr Kasalo said players in the dairy sector were geared to expand production in anticipation of any supply gap that could arise from the ban importation of long life milk, yogurt and lacto.
He said DAZ was anticipating more investment in the sector following the decision by Government to ban the importation of selected daily products that were suffocating local producers.
Mr Kasalo said once the ban come into effect at the end of May, this year, more local farmers would increase milk production, Government would collect more taxes from the sector.
“As an association, we are geared for the ban on importation of products like Long-life milk, yogurt, lacto and other daily products that can be produced locally and we can assure the consumers that there will be no shortage following the ban,” he said.
He said the importation dairy products had led to loss of the much needed revenue and job creation and that DAZ was confident that Government had made a right decision
Elsewhere, the South Africa’s rand on Thursday recovered after falling to a record low the previous session, but investor confidence remained fragile as concerns over the economy linger.
The rand traded at 18.1100 per dollar, 0.6 percent firmer than its previous close. It weakened to an all-time low of 18.2750 on Wednesday.
South Africa has imposed some of the toughest restrictions on the continent to try to contain the corona virus outbreak, including deploying the army to support police during a 21-day lockdown that began on Friday.
The likely toll on an economy already in recession showed up in preliminary tax numbers, with 2019/20 collection 160 billion rand (US$8.84 billion) below February’s Treasury estimates.
Author
