Shoping Mall.
BORN Short Living Tall (BSLT), is a registered organisation whose aim is empower the underprivileged people in society such as women, children and the disabled has commended the PF governments ban on imported fruits and vegetables.
In a press statement released to the media,BSLT president Ntalasha Chisha commended 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. Mr Chisha said he believes this move is a direct empowerment to the local agriculture industry and is a giant step towards economic diversification.
He said the development will create jobs for the youths and inspire them to engage into agriculture. The agriculture sector alone has the potential to create thousands of jobs if well managed. ”
“It is these deliberate steps from policy makers that our organization has being crying for and we are very delighted with this pronouncement. We are hopeful that women both abled and disabled will take advantage of this opportunity to better their lives and that of their families.Protests from some foreign chain stores cannot be tolerated as the country has the capacity to supply the demand on a constant basis. We therefore urge our local farmers to prove the doubters wrong and work hard to constantly meet the demand of the chain stores. Now is the time for associations, unions, and organizations to create systems that will help farmers meet these targets. In fact deliberate trainings on agribusiness should be encouraged by both government and civil society organizations,”Mr.Chisha said.
BSLT has joint the calls from Small-Scale Farmers Union President Dr Frank Kayula that government should have a statutory instrument that will give 30% preference for local produce.
Mr.Chisha said furthermore the Zambia Bureau of Standards should develop a scale of standards specifically for local farmers. Such laws and policies will protect our local farmers and encourage them to work even harder knowing there is available market for their produce. Zambia alone has got 40 percent of the water bodies in southern Africa and now is the time to use it to our advantage.
Mr.Chisha called on all Zambians is that lets promote local products and buy them to enrich our selves and grow the economy.
Govt did the same on cooking oil and what we saw was price of commodity skyrocketed and shortages. We hope that this ban will give more benefits to the consumers and suppliers.
EXACTLY. IF IMPORTED TOMATO IS CHEAPER THAN ZAMBIAN TOMATO, WHY SHOULD I BUY ZAMBIAN TOMATO WHEN MY SALARY HAS NOT BEEN INCREASED? IT IS JUST AS SIMPLE AS THAT. WHEN SHOPRITE GIVES THEM A CONTRACT , THEY WILL ONLY SUPPLY THE COMMODITY ONCE. AND THEN THEY GO TO “DANCE”. EAT THE MONEY AND FORGET ABOUT THE CONTRACT. WHEN THEY GET BROKE, AGAIN THEY WILL COME AND LINE UP AT SHOPRITE TRYING TO SELL THEIR WARES.
COME TO THINK OF IT. HAS THE GOVERNMENT DENIED ANYONE FROM SELLING THEIR GOODS ELSEWHERE EXCEPT AT SHOPRITE?
WHY CANT YOU OPEN YOUR OWN VEGETABLE SHOPS SO THAT WE CAN BUY YOUR GOODS FROM YOUR SHOP. SHOPRITE IS JUST IN BUSINESS, COMPETE WITH THEM.
Iye ama apples no more imwe.
COTEXTUALISING THE TOPIC IS A VERY HARD JOB TO LT. LT MUST HAVE PUT A PICTURE OF FRUITS THAT ARE PRODUCED IN ZAMBIA WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAS BANNED FROM IMPORTATION LIST. LT, BEING LT THEY PUT APPLES. HOW DOES A STRANGER KNOW WHAT FRUITS WE PRODUCED- IN FACT A STRANGER WOULD THINK AND CONCLUDE WE ALSO NOT ONLY PRODUCE APPLES BUT IN ABUNDANCE.
Rubbish.. Which farmers ll supply peaches, apples,dates…..imwe ba PF who is advising you on Agriculture? is it $ Slit Skirt?
#3 Chale, the fruits you have mentioned ARE NOT AMONG THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN BANNED!!
Exactly why import Mangoes when we have mb0l0 Mango everywhere?
South African companies just want to enrich their compatriots. Most vegetable produce in Zambia is world class.
Very right why are you voting her down you imbecile whoever you are? Zambian veggies are superb
Very right why are you voting her down you imbesaile whoever you are? Zambian veggies are superb
The potential is there ! We have abundant fruits and vegetables gone to waste by allowing importation of these same commodities into our nation.
@Ba Zecky March
Agreed that the potential is there, and importations have so same extent marginalised local growers. but in the meantime, let’s have a well planned and systematic programme of building capacity among our local growers while keep the prices low and stable. The better solution in my view is, import quotas. Restrict the amounts of imports for a given period while allowing local growers to actively take part in the market and monitor their growth to even start exporting. That is what prudent economic management requires. Ultimately the solutions must be market-based not mere bans, this will boomerang soon with untold repercussions.
What we need is a ‘restriction’ of same sort such as import quotas, at the moment we do not have the capacity to satisfy the demand by the entire market. Prices will start going up to the disadvantage of the very zambian consumer you are trying to save.
Not a good measure, please revise this measure.
The argument that “South African companies just want to enrich their compatriots. Most vegetable produce in Zambia is world class” must be contextualised, no research has been done that our veggies are of world class, it leaves the argument to mere hearsay. The fact is that a system of building capacity among our growers must be put in place then provide mere ‘Industry infant protection’ by instituting import quotas for a specified period of time to allow the growers match up with big SA producers and even be able to export. Thats the prudent economic way to go, not mere bans.
I love Zambia as much as I love south Africa . simple solution . let’s just share the market quarterly.