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The Zambia Apiculture Trade Association has raised concerns over the plight of beekeepers in Mwinilunga and Kasempa, where large quantities of honey remain unsold due to alleged high fees imposed by the government.
Association Chairperson, Daniel Ball, reported that nearly 1,000 kilogrammes of honey are stuck in the bush, with beekeepers unable to sell their products.
He attributed the stagnation to the prohibitive fees mandated by Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 52 of 2020.
Ball called on the government to recall the SI, which he claimed had nearly destroyed the honey industry.
He expressed frustration with the lack of action from the United Party for National Development (UPND) government.
Read more: Beekeepers seek urgent govt intervention, say levies crippling apiculture sector
“I don’t know how to challenge the UPND Government, but it’s clear that there is no interest from the authorities to resolve this issue,” Ball stated in an interview with journalists in Lusaka on Sunday.
Ball elaborated that the SI had inflicted severe damage on the apiculture industry and suggested that the best course of action would be for the government to withdraw it.
He warned that the honey industry was now in danger and on the verge of collapse.
“We know government procedures are slow, but people’s hunger is not. The government should rescind its decision to charge exorbitant fees, which have been so restrictive,” Ball said.
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