Poultry farmers condemn importation permits
Poultry farmers condemn importation permitsBy Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Mon 24 Oct. 2011, 09:00 CAT
LOCAL chicken farmers are upset with the Ministry of Agriculture's permit for imported chicken parts, which they say spells a complete demise of the poultry industry.
Poultry Association of Zambia (PAZ) chairperson Dr Evelyn Nguleka accused officials from Ministry of Agriculture of economic sabotage for allowing importation of chicken parts.
Since 2006, Zambia had imposed a ban on the importation of poultry products due to new castle disease in South Africa and other parts of the world.
The ban saw an increase in investment into the local poultry sector as the country strived to become self-reliant.
Currently, the industry is the largest in the livestock sector with an investment of more than US $600 million and employment opportunities for 50,000 Zambians.
"We strongly feel the importation of chicken portions into this country will not only undermine the successes so far scored by the industry but spell a complete demise of the entire industry," Dr Nguleka said in a statement.
"It is a pity that we are not sharing the same vision with officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, who for reasons known to themselves can choose to risk the livelihoods of so many Zambians by carelessly issuing importation permits of chicken portions without consultation with stakeholders and without due regard to the negative impact such actions may have on the local industry."
Dr Nguleka said the poultry industry survived the worst challenges in 2009 and was on the road to full recovery when officials elected to create "a scandal" by issuing permits to companies that were not in any way linked to the poultry industry but pure vendors of poultry and poultry products.
"The consequences of such behavior, if not checked, will result in untold misery to so many Zambians whose livelihoods are dependent on the poultry industry," said Dr Nguleka.
"There will be massive job losses for workers in the production farms, processing plants, stock feed plants, veterinary service companies and labs, hatcheries and poultry equipment suppliers.
It will also result in complete collapse of the small-scale producers sector, whose income and food security hinges on poultry production."
Efforts to get a comment from livestock permanent secretary Isaac Phiri proved futile by press time as his mobile phone went unanswered.
posted by MrK @ 3:21 PM
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