Tue, 27 Jun 2017 13:54:53 +0000
By OLIVER SAMBOKO
ZAMBIA has the potential to grow its aquaculture sector to levels where it can produce enough fish for local consumption and export to the sub-region, says EU Ambassador to Zambia Miriani Alessandro.
Ambassador Alessandros said he personally believed in the aquaculture potential for Zambia and if approached he would favourably consider the proposal aimed at developing the sector.
He said this after he toured Yalelo fish farm and a multi-million fish feed manufacturing factory under construction in Siavonga district.
He said the aquiculture sector had great potential as it served to diversify Zambia’s agriculture growth and value addition and its impact on the nutrition of the population.
He said the fish feed manufacturing project being undertaken by Yalelo was a good investment for Zambia in terms of integrated value addition as all the raw materials for the factory such as soya beans and maize will be sourced locally.
He said value addition in the agriculture sector was important for any economy and should be seen as a model that can be replicated in other sectors of the economy.
He said the vision for Zambia should be to serve the local fish market demands first before thinking of exporting to Europe or other far-away markets. Ambassador Alessandro said Yalelo has been doubling its production in the last three years, a good sign that Zambia could manage to produce enough fish for its consumption.
He said there was need for Zambia to consider setting up a laboratory to test the fish that is imported to ensure safety and quality, adding that it was important for every country to know what was being imported beyond its boundaries.
“It’s important for Zambia to know the quality of products that are produced and imported before it is consumed by the general public and therefore there is need to have a laboratory to certify what people are consuming,” Amb. Alessandro said.
And French Ambassador to Zambia Emmanuel Cohet who also toured Yalelo operations on Lake Kariba said his country was impressed with the strides being made by Zambia to boost the agriculture and aquaculture sub-sector.
He said the setting up of a fish feed manufacturing factory in Siavonga would help industrialise the country and create jobs for the locals.
Ambassador Cohet further said his country was committed to helping Zambia to improve its agriculture sector and was working on a project through commercial banks and French Agency For Development Corporation to facilitate access to cheap finance for small-scale farmers.
