Fri, 27 Oct 2017 12:20:57 +0000
By Annie Zulu
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has tasked Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya and her Commerce counterpart Margaret Mwanakatwe to come up with policies and administrative measures that will help regulate the influx of imports of agricultural commodities which can be produced locally.
President Lungu said local farmers should not be left to the whim of unfair competition induced by importation of products such as fruits and vegetables.
The President was speaking during the 112th Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) Annual Congress in Lusaka yesterday.
“Functioning and competitive agricultural markets are critical to achieving our planned economic diversification agenda,” President Lungu said.
The Head of State said Government wanted to make farming a business and allow farmers to benefit. He said the agricultural sector could only be sustained if farmers make profit.
President Lungu has assured that Government remains focussed on making farming the mainstay of Zambia’s economy for enhanced household food security, poverty reduction and increased income generation for citizens.
He said Government was working hard to address the current crop marketing challenges to avoid slowing down the momentum of the economic diversification agenda.
And Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya said Government would be looking at some trade protocols set by the regional blocks which affects Zambia’s agriculture sector and export
Meanwhile, ZNFU president Jervis Zimba, who has retained the seat in the elections said the union had welcomed Government’s incentives in the 2018 national budget meant to help the sector grow.
Mr Zimba has however, lamented the importation of foreign agriculture products which could be produced locally.
