The Zambian Fruit and Vegetable Traders Association has disclosed that the country has so far saved atleast US$9, 920, 000 due to the suspension of imports of onions and potatoes.
Association President Bernard Sikunyongana said the association used to bring in onion imports from January to July before the suspension came into effect in February this year.
Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Sikunyongana explained that the association used to bring in 20 trucks of onion weekly for a period of 7 months every year adding that brining a truckload of onion into the country costed $15, 000.
He noted that the $15, 000 was inclusive of the price of the commodity as well as all the other expenses needed to bring the onion into the country adding that the association used to spend over $8, 400, 000 every year on onion imports.
Sikunyongana mentioned that potatoes were more expensive to bring into the country compared to onions as a truckload of potatoes was costing $19, 000 but the association was only allowed to bring in imports for two months in a year.
The Association President said the association used to bring in 10 trucks of potatoes on a weekly basis as the local production used to meet the rest of the demand adding that this translated into a total of $1, 520, 000 being spent on the importation of potatoes.
He said the past 5 years, the association used to import potatoes for 7 months every year but due to increased local production, they would only be allowed to import for two months before the suspension of imports.
Sikunyongana noted that the two commodities are currently available on the local market and the association has not brought in any imports since the suspension of imports came into effect in February this year.
