Beef sector faces collapse - ZNFU

THE beef sector in Zambia faces the prospect of collapsing because Government has continued giving permits for the importation of huge volumes of processed meats and meat products from as far as Portugal, ZNFU president Jervis Zimba has said. Speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, Mr. Zimba said the union was taken aback that such permits had continued to be issued, with reckless disregard to protecting the local livestock sub-sector against cheaply imported products. He said the union had conducted a survey and found that a wide array of processed meats; such as polonies, bacon, smoked sausages and even fish, from as far as Portugal, Mexico and Brazil were still finding their way in some of the multinational shopping outlets. “Allowing the importation of processed meat and other meat products goes against our resolve to protect our domestic value chains against cheaply imported products which is a signal that something is very wrong. “It is inconceivable to land these products cheaper in Zambia than our very own local products. The subsidies extended to primary producers at source is the main cause of this uneven playing field, thereby hindering growth of the domestic livestock industry,” Mr. Zimba said. He said for as long as the country continued approaching extremely important national agricultural issues such as putting a lid on needless imports in a nonchalant manner, diversification will remain but a far-fetched idea which will never be realised. He said despite its advantageous location as a land-linked country, Zambia will never be the regional agriculture hub. “The ZNFU is worried that the country continues to have individuals that are averse to the growth of our local agriculture industry. For it is clear from the way issuance of import permits have been conducted that such offices have their hearts elsewhere.