In an interview in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Chasha expressed confidence that farmers were capable of meeting the Saudi demand for goats and urged the Government to offer livestock farmers an attractive
price as well as initiate necessary incentives that would further grow the sector.
Mr Chasha said that livestock farmers needed to take advantage of this opportunity and that it was a motivating factor to rear and restock more goats.
“We have the capacity as a country to supply one million goats on a monthly basis which Saudi Arabia has expressed interest. We would like to urge the ministry of agriculture to offer an attractive price as well as erect bulk centers in all districts as that will help establish the statistics at a single market and will help in levy collection,” Mr Chasha said.
He observed that unscrupulous traders had taken advantage of the wide market of goats and smuggle livestock through porous border points in order to sell in neighboring countries.
He said that particularly around this season goats had actually flooded the market and were readily available to consumers. Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya recently met with officials from Saudi Arabia who indicated that that they would be importing one million goats and fresh vegetables on a monthly basis. Ms Siliya has since urged all Zambians in the farming business to plan for this future business.
[Zambia Daily Nation]
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