Zambia granted permit to export honey to SA

South Africa has granted Zambia access to its pure honey market following what it has termed as Zambia’s compliance to South Africa’s sanitary import requirements.

According to correspondence dated 25th September, 2015 from South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Zambia will now be able to export its pure honey into South Africa after the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Zambia confirmed compliance to the requirements.

And Manager for International Plant Health Standards under the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of South Africa, Kgabo Matlala has observed that the issuance of import permits for the importation of pure honey from Zambia into South Africa had already started.

Mr. Matlala notes that in the efforts to facilitate safe trade within the region, his institution looks forward to future collaboration with the NPPO.

And Zambia’s High Commissioner – Designate to South Africa Emmanuel Mwamba has welcomed the development saying this will go a long way in contributing to the improvement of lives of most rural Zambians and consequently to the development of the country’s economy.

Mr. Mwamba says it is encouraging that the long-standing issue had now been resolved and urged that all those trading in the commodity should ensure that they observe the conditions that Zambia and South Africa have agreed on through their respective government wings.

He, however, pointed out that some of the import requirements that still regulated the trade remained stringent and that Zambia would monitor the situation and engage South Africa to look at possibilities of relaxing some of the areas.

Under the permit which has been issued, honey should come from a country or zone free of Nosema ceranae (which is a small parasite that affects honey bees), or the honey should have been tested and found free of Nosema ceranae.

The permit also stipulates that on arrival of the consignment at the port of entry, a random sample may be drawn and sent to a laboratory for testing of Paenibacillus larvae (which causes American foulbrood disease, a highly contagious disease of bacterial origin affecting the larva land pupal stages of honeybees).

This is contained in a statement made available to Qfm News by Press Secretary at the Zambian Mission in South Africa Nicky Shabolyo.