GOVERNMENT will enforce a law to compel importers of edible oils to obtain import permits in order to protect local production and processing, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Given Lubinda has said.
This follows recommendations from the edible oils sub-committee of the national sanitary and phyto-sanitory committee.
Mr Lubinda said vegetable oils have raised concerns and should only be imported where an import permit has been obtained.
He said the ministry would also investigate reports that refined imported edible oils are being supplied at less than production cost.
“To address the practice of declaring refined edible oil as crude, the Zambia Bureau of Standards will be taking samples of all bulk edible oils for testing. All false declarations will attract penalties, including banning of importers,” Mr Lubinda stated.
He said the Zambia Revenue Authority will not accept the import of crude edible oil in packaging of less than 1,000 litres as such imports will automatically be classified and refined edible oil.
“To further cushion the impact of larger and cheaper volumes of imports of edible oils on the local industries, safeguard measures will be considered for a period of time under the Southern African Development Community protocol on trade, which allows for member countries to apply for this measure when the domestic industry is facing threats from imports either due to excessive volumes or price vitality,” Mr Lubinda explained.
He said the measures are expected to enable the edible oils sub-sector to thrive by promoting local production and processing of oil seed as well as to create employment for Zambians.
He called on stakeholders to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to ensure that the market for oil seed processing industry is protected from unfair competition and that jobs for Zambians are secure.
And the ministry will this year recruit 500 agricultural extension officers throughout the country.
Permanent secretary Julius Shawa said the recruitment of the officers will help provide efficient agricultural extension services to farmers.
Ba Minister. Are you a joke or what ?
Our soyabeans, cottonseed, and sunflower seeds are all getting exported since prices abroad are better. Therefore, our saladi refiners do not have enough crushing material to keep them going the whole year.
Why dont you ban the export of these primary agricultural products.
Banning imported oil whilst allowing our oilseeds to be exported out is a joke.
Another thing Ba Minister. You are banning packed oil but you allow bulk crude oil to be imported.
So our oilseeds get exported. They get crushed in South Africa. Then the crude oil gets sent back to Zambia for further refining.
This will add not more than 200 jobs at the 4 refiners we have.
U have confused refiners vs crushers.
We want to build up crushers, not the refiners that bring other countries oil for refining.
Ban oilseed export. Build up our crushers. They buy oilseeds locally. This builds up countless peasant farmers, transporters, etc
FRA helps diversify peasants from maize to oilseeds to support local crushers.
By-product cattle feeds coming from crushers builds up our poulty, beef, dairy farmers.
Instead of 200 jobs you support 200,000.
You should be Agri minister not this clueless politician masquerading as one. I wouldnt even trust him with caring for my lawn
If only there was a ministry related to bars, pubs and nightclubs his background would be a perfect fit for that
Shabby, myopic, primary school economics.
@Apathy,thanks for these very educative comments!! In fact we need to think along the lines of value chains as you have put it so that we have a more holistic approach to develop the sectors! The approach taken by the Minister while it looks good seems to be a knee jerk reaction to protect only a section of players involved in the sector. And then the matter of permits may just breed corruption as people may bribe their way to get them. Yes let ZABS get involved but better have a more holistic approach to the sector and see how we can be more competitive producers of oils and by-products to supply to the rest of the region.
Buy Zambin Produce campaign is more acceptable than protectionist measures. It is better to reap benefits as consumers from well marketed and branded quality produce. It is all a matter of approaches to growing the local production capacities. The trade war is not easy to win given superior rivals and competitors. The socialist self reliant Juche ideology needs to be contextualized.