Vice President Inonge Wina informed the House yesterday, that Government had no plans to import GMO foods in Zambia following consecutive bumper harvests the country had been recording.
She said this in response to a question by Mpongwe MP Rashfold Bulaya who wanted to find out if government would import GMO foods because of unfavourable climatic conditions which would result in low yields of maize and other foods.
“As Government we have no intentions of importing GMO foods seeing that the country has been recording bumper harvests,” she said.
And Ms Wina has reaffirmed Government’s resolve to uphold its pronouncements on development projects such as the construction of mathematics and science colleges in Katete, Nalolo and Kabompo.
She said this during the Vice President’s question time in response to a question from Kabompo MP Ambrose Lufuma who wanted to find out if government was diverting from its development pronouncements.
Ms Wina said government was renegotiating for a loan with Arab Banks and she expressed hope that foundation works would start this year in the three districts.
Meanwhile, the Vice President said the DMMU was carrying out a countrywide assessment of how many bridges have been washed away and roofs blown off.
She said in response to a question from Mafinga MP Jacob Siwale who sought governments intervention in his constituency following natural calamities.
Ms Wina said it was Government’s responsibility to take care of its people in need when faced with such natural calamities.
The Vice President inonge wina has assured parliament that government is putting in place robust measures to ensure that agricultural inputs this farming season are promptly delivered to farmers.
Mrs Wina said Government did not want to see the reoccurrence of the last farming season where inputs were delivered late. She said this in response to a question posed by Kaputa lawmaker Maxus Ng’onga who wanted to find out how prepared Government was for the 2018/2019 farming season.
“As Government we are putting necessary measures in place to see to it that the delay in the delivery of farming inputs does not repeat,” she said.
Ms Wina said Government was sourcing for resources so that inputs could be delivered early. And the Vice President has applauded the e-voucher system as a success.
Ms Wina said out of the targeted 1000 000 farmers, over 700 farmers benefited.
She explained that this could be attributed to the fact that it was the first time the system was put to the test hence the few hurdles.
Great news! This is what I expect to see as the main story instead of irrelevant images of the head of state on school books.
As Government we have no intentions of importing GMO foods seeing that the country has been recording bumper harvests….
I think she is telling porkies there
Thanks
BB2014,2016
MONSANTO has a huge warehouse on the Mumbwa Road and you think you have no GMO!!!
@Phiri who is Mosanto?
@phiri – our Politicians sold out to Masonto years ago in exchange for silver coins; Masonta is probably the supplier of the current seed
I doubt this Old Hen would know what GMO is if it was in front of her!!
She probably doesn’t know that the hybrid maize seed she plants is GMO.
This old dinosaur really has NO IDEA of what she is talking about!
GMOs are here in Zambia already. People are buying them and eating them every day. Just go into any supermarket like Pick & Pay, Shoprite or Food lovers and there will be THOUSANDS of products with GMO ingredients.
So either she is just LYING, or she is just too DULL to understand what she is talking about!
None would know unless they are scientists who can examine the food in a lab
Because US imperialists refuse to allow people informed consent to label GMOs.
You would not recognise it if it were put in front of you: nobody would.
Instead you stoop to the LCD and go ad hom. Pathetic person.
But just what is GMO? Why are our politicians against GMO? No one in the Zambian political and scientific circles ever wants to answer this, is it that it’s easier to frighten people than to educate them that’s why no gives valid reasons over why they are against GMO?
The maize seed we plant be it Panar, Zamseed etc. are GMO. GMO is basically hybridization. A lot of people erroneously think GMO (hybridization) is synonymous with trans-genesis, it’s funny because some of these people claim to hold PhDs. Vaccines are created through trans-genesis, so those against it should stop vaccinating their kids. I wonder where our government draws the line.
Like I always say, ignorance is the number one cause of poverty in Zambia.
A squirrel knows the difference…a man in US put a GM Maize cob on one tray and Organic Maize cob on another in his back garden as an experiment..guess what the squirrels in his backyard only touched the organic one!!
@ Jay Jay For your information GM maize can be grown ORGANICALLY! So what is your point ????
#JayJay, that squirrel which is rodent and also pest* chose the non GMO, because it’s easy to eat. GMOs are specifically engineered against pests.
That is a load of old cobblers. GMO crops contain foreign genes from unrelated species. You cannot do this by crossbreeding or hybridisation unless you cross with other GMOs.
Glenn is absolutely right. GMOs introduce genes unnaturally that cannot be introduced by crossbreeding, and this is why European consumers have firmly resisted genetic modification. The food production industry has tried in many underhand ways to sneak these foods onto the dinner tables of the Europeans and they are not happy about it. Since this also means there is a rich market for selling organic produce, why on earth should Zambia be the guinea pig for this technology?
Apparently Zambia is immune to the Army worn infestation that is destroying crops across the rest of Africa. Hmmm why am I thinking of the year 2002?
Genetically modified foods cause cancer. We do not have a health system developed or sophisticated enough to deal with the side effects of GMO foods.Let the first world countries which can finance chemotherapy eat GMO for us in Zambia God has endowed us with enough food and mental fortitude to stay away form Monsanto.Thumbs up to PF on this one.
I wonder what kind of uneducated Doctor you’re.
When you allow manufactured food from other countries like Zambia does, the chances are that 99% of that food has some genetically modified organism (GMO) in it. The sure way of securing your citizens from being exposed to GMOs is to grow and manufacture/process foods in the country where you can monitor the origin of your food commodities.Otherwise it is a good political statement of intent.
Thank you GRZ. You are thinking on this one. Credit where credit is due.
Zambia has been a dumping ground for GMO Products for a very long time.
In the 1920s and 1930s , the White Mine Owners on the Copper Belt did not have enough staple food the Black Miners -Millet and Cassava, which took long to grow. Black Miners complained and put up a Mutiny.
The White Mine Owners were compelled to import GMO Early Maturity Maize , from South America. Meanwhile, the White Mine Owners appeased the Black Miners with Brown Bread (Kampompo) and Cocoa.
Otherwise GMO Maize has been in this country, before Zambia was born. Today, Zambia is flooded with GMO Food Products, including Animal and Poultry Feeds.
Some Processed Foods and Beverages, including some GMO products can cause cancer and other ailments related to Vitamin and Minerals deficiency.
Most GMO seeds are…
Please someone advise the PF not to go ahead and distribute this textbook with the presidential portraits on them, and apologize to everyone already
Receive this text book, because this has nothing to do with the education.
Please, Please, Please let the Student Form their own way of thinking just guide them.
Don’t dance to traditional dances, but Have the president’s portrait. ?.
She is regurgitating what Levy Mwanawasa preached many years ago. Vision-less and spineless PF. This woman is fake as her wig!
Its not a wig
@Kakoma then please enlighten us as to what kind of mop she has on her head. What fibres are they made from?
When good people go hungry, something should be done. But the root cause of hunger in African countries is not poor crop yields or the lack of genetic modification technology. The root cause is the unwillingness of the rich in the West to share their good fortune and invest in Africa for mutual benefit, rather than exploitation. We must calmly and firmly make the case for a more equitable distribution of the world’s wealth, and open the eyes of ordinary people in the West to the consequences of their greed, so that they can hold their governments to account.
If you had more stable governments with fewer *****s like this woman. More people would think investing could be successful.
this foolish,stupid, maniac, *****, worthless, useless white guy Eric does not have respect for woman and especially for the blacks he needs to be taught some good Zambian morals
at least will see a change if they stick to there word of not importing manufactured goods and motivate Zambian food producers to do their level best