Zambia has allowed unrestricted export of agriculture and livestock products in the aftermath of the COVID 19 to assist the country after its economy was decimated by the pandemic.
Ministers, Makozo Chikote for fisheries and livestock and agriculture’s Reuben Mtolo said farmers and other players in the two sectors should take advantage of the Government’s ‘open border’ policy’ to exploit the various markets in the region and beyond to sell their various products and help market the country and generate foreign exchange.
Minister Chikote, officiating at the Poultry Association of Zambia in Lusaka notes the cost of unilateral restrictions that were imposed on export of various agriculture related products in the past but assured poultry farmers that government support Zambia’s economic revival plans and would seek to encourage exports be it poultry or any poultry products.
Minister Chikote, in a statement, appreciates the contributions to the economy rendered by the Poultry and other growth sectors in the country and is cognizant of their challenges arising from export restrictions especially on day-old chicks, hatching eggs, and feedstock which hampered growth.
The government is keenly supporting the poultry and other sectors to ensure all bottlenecks taking measures to address some bottlenecks affecting the poultry industry. He encouraged the poultry sector to engage the government on all issues affecting them to help find lasting solutions.
At the same occasion-Zambia’s largest farming group-ZNFU leader Jervis Zimba appealed to the government to ensure that the policies protecting the poultry industry are consistent and would allow the sector players make real returns from their business to help growth their businesses especially in the aftermath of the COVID 19.
Mr. Zimba noted that the poultry industry stands to benefit from consistent government policies especially on imports.
PAZ Board Chairperson Veronica Machungwa in a statement during the meeting urged the government to seriously resolve the various challenges affecting the growth of the poultry industry.
In recent years, players in the various growth sectors have complained about the Government’s inconsistent export policy restrictions especially on agriculture related products on claims that the products earmarked for exports should instead be retained home for strategic reserves at the expense of attractive regional crop prices, averaging US$260/ton.
The indecision on exports had in 2017 cost Zambia ZMW 1 billion (US$2 million) in exports of various products-chiefly maize when it was highly sought by Kenya, Zimbabwe, among other countries, according to findings by agriculture research institute-IAPRI.
Centre for Trade Policy and Development acting executive director Isaac Mwaipopo had earlier lamented the ‘policy shifts’ that have characterized the agriculture sector citing the 2016/2017 marketing season as one of the periods when the country lost an opportunity to empower small-scale farmers and grain traders to cash in because of the exportation ban.
Mr. Mwaipopo further cited 2017/2018 agriculture-marketing season as another tough period for small-scale farmers and maize traders in Zambia after export restrictions were re-imposed.
Zambia’s failure to take advantage of the regional demand for maize made the country mean a loss of potential revenue that would have propelled the domestic revenue mobilization agenda forward.
“The failure by Zambia to take advantage of the demand that existed for maize has made Zambia lose out on potential revenue that would have otherwise propelled the country’s domestic revenue mobilization agenda forward” he said in an interview.
