The President of the Peasant Farmers Association, Dr. Charles Nyaaba, has supported the Legislative Instrument (L.I) to restrict the importation of rice, fruit juice and 20 other 'strategic products'.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s MiddayNews on Friday, November 24, he called on the Minority in Parliament to allow its passage.

“As a country, we need to take very strong decisions to ensure our local industry thrives. We cannot continue to depend on others for food that we can produce here … So for us, we still appeal to the Minority to think about it again and allow this L.I to pass,” he pleaded.

Read also: https://www.myjoyonline.com/government-must-withdraw-l-i-seeking-to-restrict-import-of-strategic-products-minority/

This follows the Minority's blockade of the L.I that seeks to restrict the importation of rice, fruit juice and 20 other 'strategic products' unless permission is granted by the Trades Minister, K.T Hammond.

The Minority Leader on Thursday described the regulation as a bad policy that must be withdrawn immediately.

“We are urging the President to have a rethink because this is not a policy that we should encourage and they have to withdraw it,” he entreated.

But Dr. Nyaaba said despite the fact that "in the short term, their [Minority's] mind is on small shortage, in the medium term, we can produce enough for our own consumption and even export."

He explained that the passing of the L.I will compel government to increase investment in the agriculture sector to attract investors. This, he added will also attract farmers to increase productivity.

According to him, the L.I is nothing new since countries such as Nigeria, Japan have implemented it.

“If you go to countries where we have been importing these commodities – Thailand, Japan, Russia, they have subsidised their farmers, they ensure that they put in restrictions that prevent other countries from sending the same unfinished product there. So if we allow them to process and dump them on us, at what stage in our economy can we become self-dependent?” he queried.