By Bisola Adeyemo
Following a meeting held with the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU), Zambian government on Tuesday announced its decision to suspended the importation of onions and potatoes.
The government banned the importation due to the complain of some farmers concerning the government’s decision to allow the importation of some commodities that could be grown locally and are demanding a clear policy decision.
Green Mbozi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, said the government has decided to suspend the importation of onions and potatoes until further notice, that the government desired to ensure that the interest of local farmers is protected.
On Monday, Jervis Zimba, the president of the farmers’ association had raised concerns over the flooding of imported onions and potatoes on the market, saying the trend was killing local farmers.
In a statement, he questioned the rationale behind the importation of the two commodities that can be produced locally and are currently in abundance.
According to him, onions and potatoes produced by local farmers risk going to waste unless the government addresses the continued importation of the commodities.
On his part, Emmanuel Mwamba, Zambia’s former Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union (AU) said the situation has been worsened by the lack of value addition in the country.
“Because we are seasonal farmers and not all-year-round farmers, in the season of plenty, we advocate for a ban on importation of onions, tomatoes and potatoes, and as soon as the season is over, a shortage and price hike kick in and again lift the importation ban,” he said on his Facebook page.
Frank Kayula, a former director-general of the National Union for Small-Scale Farmers in Zambia also recently urged the government to find a way of balancing imports and the need to boost local production.