adminTHE Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development, Cde Paddy Zhanda, has called on Government to tighten controls at the country’s entry points to stem an influx of cheap foreign poultry products being smuggled into the country.
Cde Zhanda made this call while responding to questions from chiefs during the just ended Chiefs’ Conference in Gweru.
The chiefs said the influx of cheap foreign poultry products was disadvantaging local meat producers as over 100 000 tonnes of foreign poultry products and 100 000 tonnes of beef were said to have been imported from Brazil and Namibia respectively in the past few months.
Cde Zhanda said most of the poultry products were being smuggled into the country through entry points which he said was detrimental to the growth of the meat industry and livestock business in the country.
“Government has seen it fit to introduce duty on imported poultry products of $1.50 per kg. What is most surprising is that despite the fact that no one has come to apply for a permit to import poultry products, we are having more foreign poultry products being imported into the country.
“Most of these products are being smuggled into the country through our borders and that has become a very big challenge for us as the responsible ministry.
“The challenge is not unique to our ministry but we have also realised that there are so many products that include shoes and other banned imports being smuggled into the country. It is a problem that the country has to address immediately in order to protect local industries,” he said.
Cde Zhanda said Government had remained committed to supporting communal and smallholder farmers by making sure that they got their payments on time to enable them to buy farming inputs on time.
Online Reporter