No more rhetoric, ZNFU tells Shamulenge
WEWILL not tolerate any more rhetoric from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock over imports because it has been a let-down to the country’s diversification programme, the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has warned.
Yesterday, the ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr David Shamulenge, announced the suspension of issuance of import and in-transit permits for all live animals, livestock products and all feed inputs. Dr. Shamulenge also revoked all permits issued.
This follows an exposé by the Daily Nation that Zambia was importing the same products which local manufactures were producing and struggling to sell from countries as far as Spain, the United States and Portugal.
Speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, Mr Zimba said ZNFU was grateful to Vice President Inonge Wina for personally taking up the matter adding that they happy that Dr Shamulenge had “finally waken up.”
He however warned that ZNFU would not be bought by semantics over the matter but will closely monitor the situation as it had put the ministry on “red alert”.
“This is just the beginning. We will expose the ministry more as long as it continues with this mischief. We are not targeting any individual but we want them to sit up and work. This ‘ business as usual’ attitude towards work is what is killing us Zambians,” Mr Zimba said.
He said Dr Shamulenge could not claim that he was not aware of the imports.
“Surely, did he expect the President or the Vice President before thinking of banning these reckless imports his ministry is permitting? Why then should he be jittery when we remind him that his ministry is performing below par?” he asked.
He said true diversification from mining to agriculture and President Edgar Lungu’s value addition programme were being haunted by the same people who were supposed to make it a reality.
“When a farmer is producing in excess and is happy with his turnover and local manufacturers are meeting the local demand through value addition, then we will retain all the forex and jobs we are exporting by entertaining imports recklessly and that is our desire,” he Zimba said.
He wondered why the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock for once work like the Ministry of Agriculture which was always consulting stakeholders before making decisions.
Zambia has been flooded with imported beef, pork and dairy products despite endless complaints by local producers that the imports are killing their business and robbing the country of jobs.