• Local supply of ginger and garlic fails to meet high demand.
• The prices of the two commodities will continue to rise due to shortage.
• Zambian traders have now turned to China to supply them garlic.
Fruits and Vegetables Association of Zambia says the demand for garlic and ginger has surpassed the local supply of the two commodities on the market.
Association Executive Director, Boyd Sikunyongana told Money FM that the high demand is due to assumptions that ginger and garlic are good remedies in the fight against COVID-19
‘‘ The demand now is more than the normal as products like ginger and garlic are seen to be good for COVID-19,’’ he said.
‘‘We will continue to see the rise in demand for garlic and ginger as long as we have the virus.’’
Mr. Sikunyongana added that prices of the two commodities will continue to rise as the local producers cannot meet the demand.
He further revealed that traders have now resorted to importing garlic from China in order to cushion the supply in the country.
‘‘We signed a deal with China so we are only receiving garlic, and this has atleast cushioned the supply on the market,’’ Mr. Sikunyongana
‘‘We have not received ginger from outside to cover up the shortage in the country.’’
Mr. Sikunyongana however warned that the country risks completely running out of garlic and ginger if the high demand persists.
According to a Ministry of Health Facebook post, Garlic is a healthy food that may have some antimicrobial properties.

However, the ministry said there is no evidence from the current outbreak that eating garlic or ginger has protected people from the coronavirus.