• There is no shortage of onion in the country.
• This is an assurance that there will be no onion importation in 2023.
• Farmers must grow more rain-fed onion to ensure availability of the product on the domestic market.

Fruits and Vegetable Traders Association says Zambia is not likely to import onions next year due to adequate supply of the commodity in the country.

Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Association President Boyd Sikunyongana noted that currently, there is no shortage of onion in the country, therefore this is an assurance that there will be no onion importation in 2023.

Mr. Sikunyongana revealed that the importation of onion in 2022 occurred only for two weeks, before government responded to concerns raised by the farmers’ union and other stakeholders.

“This year we seem to be certain from the onion production we have now, we are unlikely that we can import onion next year, we do not have a shortage of onion currently.”

“We only imported for two weeks only and we closed because the farmers union had not yet written to government but this time around we are very certain and everyone is ready,” Mr. Sikunyongana said.

He urged the local farmers to grow more onion so as to ensure availability of the product on the domestic market.

“Some people are calling for 20% importation but where did they get those statistics that we need to import that much? We are appealing to farmers to grow more rain-fed onion so that we have this product available on the market,” he added.