Government cancels agriculture produce import permits Dr Joseph Made
Dr Made

Dr Made

Elita Chikwati and Freeman Razemba—
GOVERNMENT has, with immediate effect, suspended importation of all agricultural produce and cancelled all existing import permits. Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made said there was need to revise the rules and regulations to be followed when importing agricultural produce.

“All import permits have been cancelled. This is pending the return of the old permits to the ministry so that new ones have to be issued.
“The ministry will follow certain rules and regulations that have to be observed by the licence holders,” he said.

Dr Made did not disclose when new permits would be issued.
The move has been welcomed by farmers who urged Government to consider the plight of local farmers before issuing import permits.
Farmers have complained that cheap imported produce – mainly from South Africa – is flooding the local market and negatively affecting their operations.

On the flip-side, some analysts say this could have massive price ramifications.
This is because the cost of production in Zimbabwe is higher than in South Africa and thus local produce costs more on the market.

Farmers, however, yesterday said Government should first establish the local production deficit so that import licences would only be issued for that produce that was not readily available locally.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president’, Mr Wonder Chabikwa said: “The country is importing eggs, vegetables, fruits and poultry products leaving us with nowhere to sell our produce. Some countries are dumping their produce on us and we end up losing our markets.

“As farmers, our Government should give us protection on food we produce here. Some countries subsidise their farmers and gives them export incentives which make their produce cheaper compared to local produce.”

Mr Chabikwa said they were unable to compete with subsidised farmers.
“We welcome the move as this protects us to remain productive,” he said.

Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union second vice-president Mr Berean Mukwende said he hoped security would be tightened at the borders to stamp out smuggling.

He said the cancellation of import permits should serve as a challenge to local farmers to produce quality foodstuffs.
“It’s a step in the right direction and it goes in line with Zim-Asset. We should not look only at the financial aspect but various others, such as employment creation,” Mr Mukwende said.

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