By HELEN ZULU? –
GOVERNMENT and the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has tailored a programme to support small-scale farmers to guarantee their consistency in supplying local products to supermarkets.
This is in line with Government’s goal of ensuring that chain stores accommodate local products in their shelves and position the farmers as

. Mwanakatwe

key players in economic growth.?Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Margaret Mwanakatwe said this after touring Lusaka’s Shoprite and Game Stores outlets at Manda Hill Shopping Centre, Pick n’ Pay Zambia and Food Lovers market at East Park mall, and Melisa Supermarket in Kabulonga and Spar Arcades on Tuesday this week.
She said her ministry, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, would work with the ZNFU to empower the small-scale farmers to produce quality foods to supply to supermarkets in the country.
She said local suppliers were not consistent in supplying their products when contracted to do so by the supermarkets due to various reasons, a situation which forced the supermarkets to import food products.
“After touring these stores, it is very clear that all supermarkets are very keen to support small-scale farmers but the quality of the products has always been the issue.?So my ministry together with the Ministry of Agriculture will work with ZNFU to support and empower local farmers so that they produce quality food products and be consistent with their supply responsibility,” she said.
Ms Mwanakatwe said it was vital that local suppliers were empowered for them to produce goods that were of high quality and compete with international products. She said trading in local products was essential to the economy because it would help in boosting value addition for the benefit of the ordinary Zambians.
Ms Mwanakatwe further called on Zambians to be proud and buy Zambian products in order to support the small scale farmers, thereby growing the economy.?Spar Stores manager Paul Mwila said local suppliers were at times not reliable because they did not have the necessary equipment to produce goods on a large scale.
Mr Mwila, however, said local suppliers had the potential of satisfying the local and international markets if they were given the necessary capital to produce more.?Melissa Supermarket manager Charalambus Petsas said there was need to encourage the production of dog food and matches in the country.
‘‘ We are very grateful to the Government for visiting the stores and addressing the production of local products and the problems that may exist in the industry. Zambia is not producing matches, so it would be good if someone is encouraged to do so and this will create jobs and encourage the sale of local products in supermarkets,’’ Mr Petsas said.