The Zambian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa has protested the fresh ban imposed on export of Zambian honey to South Africa.
In a letter written to South African authorities, Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Emmanuel Mwamba states that he has learnt with regret that South Africa has restricted market access for Zambia’s pure honey with immediate effect.
Mr. Mwamba says this is because a consignment allegedly from Zambia was found to be contaminated with a disease called American Foulbrood (Paenibacillus larvae).
But Mr. Mwamba has stated that the ban was done outside procedures and trade regulations.
He says the procedure to impose the ban were breached and no official letter has been written to competent authorities in Zambia as required by trade protocols.
He also states that no official results of the analysis and copy of import airway bill were provided for Zambia to authenticate and verify the source of such a consignment.
He laments that it is difficult to establish whether the matter was a misconduct of traders who sometimes mix various imports of honey products from other countries.
Mr. Mwamba has urged the authorities in South Africa to immediately reverse the ban on importation of pure honey until the laid down procedures and verification were done between experts from both countries.
He says if Zambian honey were subjected to irradiation as being proposed, it would lose its treasured and intrinsic value which ranks it as pure, organic, and natural and a factor which gives it a choice presence on the market.
