Give local farmers chance - ZNFU

CHAIN stores should give Zambian farmers an opportunity to prove their worth because they are capable of satisfying the national demand and meet required standards, the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) has said.

ZNFU president, Jervis Zambia said contrary to insinuations by some chain stores, Zambian farmers were capable of meeting national demand for Irish and sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, fresh red, green and yellow peppers.

He also said the farmers could supply milk and its products, wheat and flour, rice, sugar, beef and its products, pork and its products, among many others without any setbacks.

“ZNFU is ready to engage so that the linkages between farmers, processors and the chain stores are strengthened.

“It is time for the buy Zambia campaign to become real. As farmers, we are equal to the challenge before us and we want to engage the sceptics as we do not want this programme to be derailed because of common excuses like Zambian farmers cannot meet the standards.

“This is not true, how come the farmers in Zambia are able to produce for lucrative markets since vegetables are exported into Europe or fruits into Hong Kong?” Mr. Zimba asked.

Mr Zimba said the old gimmicks should be put behind so that the various agriculture value chains work together for the benefit of all players.

He said to actualise this programme, ZNFU was of the view that its targets should be set so that farmers could grow knowing the market was secured.

Mr Zimba yesterday saidfarmers were ever ready and geared to produce as long as there was a market and support to access the required inputs.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic was a storm whose magnitude had perplexed the entire human race and that as vital players in the country, farmers in the various localities had been active to ensure that Government guidelines aimed at controlling the spread of this pandemic, and to eradicate it, were observed.

Mr Zimba said where possible, farmers had been making contributions, financial or material towards the various COVID-19 initiatives while actively engaged Government to preserve farm operations so that the country’s food security going forward was not jeopardized.