By KETRA KALUNGA
THE goat export deal to Saudi Arabia has not been abandoned as the new dawn government wants to empower citizens with livestock to enable them to export and be able to contribute positively to the growth of the country’s economy, Minister of Fisheries and Livestock, Makozo Chikote has said.
Mr. Chikote however said he was concerned with the politics around the deal which had in a way contributed to the delay in establishing why the programme failed to materialise.
He said in an interview that the Saudi Arabia goats deal was cardinal in creating a ready market for livestock farmers because of its high market for goats hence the ministry’s resolve to give direction on the matter.
“The assessment to establish why the goat export deal failed to kick-off is still ongoing, have assigned officers to dig deeper because in my own opinion there are politics around it and that has delayed the process.
“So the issue with Saudi Arabia will still be followed to the letter and I can rest assure you we’ll come up with the right information and the way forward, over the same market,” he said.
Mr. Chikote said the new dawn government would ensure that the goat deal was depoliticised because its intention was to grow the sector for Zambians to be empowered.
And Mr. Chikote disclosed that the new dawn administration was in talks with the Angolan government on a possible partnership in the livestock sector.
He said once the bilateral agreement was concluded, Zambia would be exporting chickens and other livestock to Angola.
“We want to empower small-scale farmers in livestock, so we are looking for a market for them to sell their produce including livestock, these include the DRC market, and we are also into negotiations and platform with the Angolan market,” Mr. Chikote said.
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