NGO hails ban on importation of some fruits, vegetables

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 10:00:26 +0000

By MUKOSELA KASALWE

GOVERNMENT’s decision to ban the importation of some fruits and vegetables is a catalyst that will promote and propel the market for local farmers, says Born Short Living Tall executive director Ntalasha Chisha.

Mr Chisha expressed hope that the ban by government through the Ministry of Agriculture would promote and grow the market for local farmers.

In a statement issued yesterday, the non-governmental organisations said that the move would act as a direct empowerment to the local agriculture industry and that it was a giant step towards economic diversification.

Mr Chisha expressed confidence that the gesture would help create jobs for the youth and inspire them to engage into farming activities as agriculture had the potential to create thousands of jobs if it was well managed.

“We would like to commend the Government through the Ministry of Agriculture for the ban imposed on the importation of some fruits and vegetables to promote and grow the market for local farmers,

“We believe this move is a direct empowerment to the local agriculture industry and is a giant step towards economic diversification,” he said.

He said that it was such deliberate steps from policy makers that his organisation looked for and that the pronouncement had come at an appropriate time.

Mr Chisha has called on women both abled and disabled to take advantage of the opportunity to better their lives as well as for their families.

He said that protests from some foreign chain stores should not be tolerated as Zambia had the capacity to supply the required vegetables and fruits on a constant basis.

Mr Chisha has urged local farmers to prove the sceptics wrong and work hard to constantly meet the demand of the chain stores.

He also urged the Zambia Bureau of Standards to develop a scale of standards specifically for local farmers saying such laws and policies would help protect local farmers and encourage them to work even harder knowing that there was available market for their produce.