STAKEHOLDERS AGREE TO EXPORT 100, 000MT OF SOYA BEANS
...and request Government to allow the exportion as country has enough stocks
OILSEED stakeholders have agreed to export 100, 000 metric tonnes of soya beans resulting from increased production.
These stakeholders are the Grain Traders Association of Zambia (GTAZ), the Poultry Association of Zambia (PAZ), the Dairy Association of Zambia (DAZ), the Crushers of Edible Oils and Refiners Association (CEDORA) and the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU).
The agreement was arrived at during a stakeholder’s consultation meeting at the ZNFU offices in Lusaka recently.
This is according to the ZNFU Media and Public Relations Manager, Mr Calvin Kaleyi.
“The stakeholders based this rationale on the announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) that the country’s estimated production of soyabeans was pegged at 475, 353 metric tonnes in the 2021/2022 farming season,” Mr Kaleyi said.
He said stakeholders resolved that 230, 000MTs of soyabeans would be utilised in manufacturing of feed and other animal protein and 50, 000MTs will be utilised in the manufacturing of food for human consumption.
This, he explained, would bring the total domestic requirements to 280, 000MT, which would leave 195, 353MTs of soya beans available on the market.
Mr Kaleyi said the stakeholders recommended to the Ministry of Agriculture to allow for the allocation of 100, 000MT of soya beans for export through the GTAZ.
“This will allow the traders to participate in soya beans marketing and venture into the export market, which will in turn be of benefit to the entire value chain and is key to future expansion of soya beans production,” he stated.
Stakeholders, he said, also reccomended to the ministry to allow for the allocation of 95, 000MT for soya meal/cake to the CEDORA.
Mr Kaleyi said this would allow the refiners to export soya cake while stock feed processors lock in their domestic requirements.