Owner of Kushiya farms Guy Robinson says the dairy industry is facing unfair competition from imported milk and other dairy products that have flooded the Zambian market.
Mr Robinson says jobs in the local dairy industry are seriously threatened unless government institutions measures that will restrict the inflow of imported dairy products.
He says while Zambia needed to comply with trade protocol of regional organisations to which the country is a member, there is need to institute remedial measures that will protect the local dairy industry from collapse due to unfair competition.
Mr Robinson said dairy producers in the country are facing a lot of challenges selling their produce because most chain stores and other retailers are flooded with imported milk and other products.
He said this will make it difficult for the local industry to expand and increase the number of job opportunities for the locals.
Mr Robison was speaking when Southern province minister Edify Hamukale visited the farm in Mazabuka today.
He told the minister that dairy farmers in Mazabuka and other parts of southern province were also experiencing difficulties in getting laboratory results for the mandatory testing of dairy animals from the Central Veterinary Research Institute based in Lusaka.
MR Robinson complained that this situation was making it difficult for dairy farmers to market their produce which could only be sold after animals have been cleared of any disease.
But Dr Hamukale said he will engage the ministry of livestock and fisheries to consider building capacity at the Zambia Institute of Animal Husbandry in Mazabuka so that farmers in the province will not be inconvenienced by taking animal samples to Lusaka for laboratory tests.
It is mandatory that dairy animals should be tested for endemic diseases such asFoot and Mouth Disease, East Coast Fever and also ontagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP), an infectious disease of lungs in cattle caused by Mycoplasma mycoides subsp mycoides
Dr Hamukale said the provincial admininstration is working on a programme of promoting the setting up of processing industries in areas of high milk production so that milk is not sold in its raw form but finished products as put of the thrust to implement value chains.
This is what you get from PF bandits of visionless Lungu, no chance for local products. Under violent PF bandits nothing tangible can happen, so just be prepared to complain forever about everything else.
How much is mealie meal today?
The Skeleton Key
~206~
but the same products have high standards compared to local and cheaply produced ,zambian farms learn to add value to your dairy produce.
theres no way milk goes bad in the freezer.
Where do you strike the balance between a local producers making a mark-up and retaining employees vs the millions of consumers who benefit from cheaper, better quality products? What alternatives does this farmer have and what incentives should be provided to encourage local production?
In context, where do you strike the balance between promoting local production and creating jobs of at most 10 staff vs the millions of consumers who benefit from cheaper, better quality products? What alternatives does this farmer have and what incentives should be provided to encourage local production?
ZAMBIANS ARE JEALOUS AND DO NOT WANT THEIR CITIZENS TO PROGRESS. YOU BURN MAIZE TO BE SOLD OUT BUT YOU IMPORT OTHER FOOD STUFF FROM OUTSIDER WHO COME TO SUCK ZAMBIA.
I WENT TO PICK AND PAY WANTING SELL ONION FROM MY FARM BUT JUST TO BE TALK THAT YOU TAKE YOU PRODUCE TO LUSAKA AND YOU REGISTER RIGHT THEIR SO THAT WHEN EVER YOU HARVEST, THE COMPANY CAN BUY AND NOT HERE IN THE COPPERBELT AND EVEN IN SOLWEZI.
ALL THIS IS AN INDICATION OF ZAMBIAN WEAK POLICIES.