The Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) has expressed its dismay at the decision made by the Ministry of Agriculture to import 125,000 metric tons of wheat, despite the country’s own adequate production of the commodity. The ZNFU pointed out that the country has been producing enough wheat to meet national consumption needs, and that the decision to import wheat comes only three months after the previous harvest.
In a press statement released to the media and signed by ZNFU President Jervis Zimba, the ZNFU argued that the decision to import wheat goes against the government’s own encouragement for farmers to expand wheat production and will not create jobs within the country. They also questioned the rationale behind the decision, stating that there is no current crisis in the wheat industry that would warrant such a move.
The union also raised concerns about the process by which the decision was made, claiming that it was made at a hastily organized meeting with no physical verification of stock levels and without proper consultation with industry stakeholders. They argued that any requests for wheat importation should be made through consultations with private sector industry stakeholders in order to safeguard domestic production and marketing dynamics, and to ensure that investments in local wheat production are maintained.
The ZNFU also highlighted the benefits of the import substitution strategy that the country has pursued in the wheat value chain, which has been successful and envied by other countries. They called on the government to reconsider its decision to import wheat and to instead allow the wheat industry stakeholders to determine if there are any grounds for such a move.
The union has previously written to the Ministry of Agriculture on the matter, but their letters have gone unanswered. They have now called on the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture to respond to their concerns and to reconstitute the stock monitoring committee with a focus on its intended objectives, rather than serving the interests of a select few.
I stand with the Zambia National Farmers Union on this issue. This country is growing enough wheat to meet local demand. There’s therefore no need to import the commodity.
Kolapshoni
Question is why should government import anything when there is no pressure to do so? Who is getting a cut?
Incomplete reporting.
I stand with ZNFU on this one but couldn’t the news reporter find out details from GRZ side?
“The union has previously written to the Ministry of Agriculture on the matter, but their letters have gone unanswered.” Dont you eyes and the tompwe to read
Lukanga do you have comprehension skills? That is not the government speaking. It is a paraphrase by the union. It has to be proved to be true to be published by the reporter
@mwenya most loudmouths are quick to criticise. Criticizing without analysis is having no tompwe. We who have read and understood this report all agree that the reporter should have approached government for a comment.
Poor reporting from LT as usual…..
One sided stories without a attempted response from the other side……….
LT , instead of site maintenance you need reporter maintenance…………..
ZNFU with all the network they have should not just end at criticising instead investigate further who is the middleman and at what cost in this transaction …when you see govt opting to import just know someone is eager to get a cut. This is why we as Africans can never be truly be independent baceause you have some very greedy people who just want to make easy money cutting commisions and overpricing. I can bet you this transaction was deemed an emergency so was single sourced to cut corners.
Those useless agreements you have with European trading blocks that even erroneously places Ukraine as the so-called bread basket of the world. Even when it is now a basket case they are forcing those useless agreements to persist now as an illusion or delusion only. Let’s stop this nonsense. If we can feed ourselves we need not import what we can produce. Atase bane! Disgusting.
It is always right to get the correct information rather than heresays.
If Government has made importation of wheat, Please do not condemn the Government. There is a pending shortage of food in five years from now.