DON’T BAN MILK IMPORTS - MP

IT

WILL be suicidal for Zambia to ban the importation of milk and other dairy products because the dairy sub-sector is still in its infancy, Parliamentary committee on agriculture chairperson Maxas Ng'onga has said.

Speaking in an interview, Mr. Ng'onga said contrary to calls on government by some stakeholders in the dairy industry that dairy products should be banned because it was negatively impacting on the growth of the local industry, authorities should instead only step up the enforcement of existing regulations to stamp out fake milk.

He observed that currently, the country can not afford to ban the importation of milk and other dairy products from other countries because the production of milk was lower than the consumption.

Mr. Ng'onga, who is also Kaputa PF member of parliament said banning milk imports was not the solution to the problems the local Dairy industry was facing but that there was need for Government and some players in the sector to find ways of upping their game and compete well with other milk producing countries on the continent.

He noted that should the Government ban importation of milk and milk products, many people who depend on milk were going to be affected.

“At one time, Government wanted to ban the importation of powdered milk, but the decision had to be rescinded because many breastfeeding mothers complained and moreover even now where we are as a country, the deficit of milk is too high to even start thinking of banning imports,” he said

Mr. Ng'onga advised that what was necessary was for the authorities to enhance monitoring and ensure that no fake milk was allowed in Zambia to avoid turning the country into a dumping ground.

He said Zambia had sufficient laws and regulations that could stop fake milk from filtering through the country’s borders but that what was lacking was enforcement.

Recentry,there had been calls by Dairy Association of Zambia (DAZ) to ban some dairy product imports to save the local sub-sector from collapsing.

At one time, Government wanted to ban the importation of powdered milk, but the decision had to be rescinded because many breastfeeding mothers complained and moreover even now where we are as a country, the deficit of milk is too high to even start thinking of banning imports.