The decision of the Zambian government to impose a ban on the importation of onion has created an opportunity for some growers to expand their business. “I am currently supplying my onions to Lusaka, Ndola and Kitwe, including Petauke district,” says Chipata-based onion grower Jastone Ngoma. Ngoma says before the onion import ban was effected, he was only supplying his commodities to Lusaka and parts of Eastern Province because the market was over-supplied with imported onions.
He is, however, very happy that the government has created an enabling environment for local farmers to thrive as their onions can now sell unlike in the past when some of the vegetables would go to waste. Although local farmers are somewhat failing to meet the growing demand for onions because imports have been eliminated, some are thinking of expanding production to satisfy demand. “I am a happy farmer, I am in the processing of expanding my onion field because I now have a lot of customers, which means the demand is now higher. I have a 17-acre piece of land where I grow onion, maize, groundnuts and soya beans. Next farming season, I intend to expand my crop field by seven acres to expand the onion field,” Mr Ngoma said.
Source: daily-mail.co.zm