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Fruit and vegetables from Zambia
will find their way to Jozi tables after the Joburg Fresh
Produce Market signed a trade deal with Ilamfya Agricultural
Products Limited.
THE Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market (JFPM) has signed a
business agreement of partnership with the Zambian agricultural company,
Ilamfya Agricultural Products Limited.
"Zambians fed South African people when they were in exile,
so it is time that we return the favour," said the JFPM's chief operating
officer, Patrick Mphahlele.
Signing the agreement
The agreement signed by the two parties is to partner in the
agricultural business, and entails the exchange of products such as onions,
potatoes and mangoes. South Africa
will export potatoes and onions to Zambia
and in turn Zambia will send
mangoes to South Africa
during its mango off-season.
Opening the gathering for the signing, the JFPM's
international relations officer, Wandile Masoek, said that signing the
agreement was like committing oneself to marriage, which would last forever.
Mphahlele said that where commercially possible, the market
linked with other countries on the continent. As the JFPM was one of the
largest produce markets in the world, it wanted to work with other countries in
Africa and boost its presence to African
farmers.
Signing this agreement with Zambia
would allow the Joburg market to penetrate into other African countries that
shared borders with Zambia.
Revenue would also be diversified at the market through
extending its client base, he pointed out. Deals had already been inked with Botswana and Democratic Republic of Congo; the
JFPM hoped to set one up with Zimbabwe.
Africa was food secure, Mphahlele
said, mentioning some of the other African countries with which the Joburg
market was working. These included Nigeria,
Ghana and Namibia.
Market tour
Representatives from Ilamfya were given a tour of the
market's warehouses to see how it handled and processed products, prompting the
chairperson, Bwalya Chiti, to say he was truly impressed with what he saw at
JFPM.
Touring the market
Partnering with the JFPM would not only help them but would
also provide services to regions around Zambia,
such as Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and others. "We are
looking forward to the JFPM's working together with us," said Chiti.
He also commented on the cleanliness of the food markets,
including the Soweto Market and a market in Lagos,
in Nigeria.
Markets needed to be clean for the quality and safety of food.
"We need to change the way people live; we have to supply
facilities to better their conditions."
There were a number of reasons why his company wanted to set
up a business relationship with the JFPM, Chiti said. Among these was that "we
have realised the size and volume of the JFPM", and "we are looking for quality
products from [it]".
The Johannesburg
market would provide safe, good quality food for Zambians, as well as safe and
fair trading and distribution of agricultural products for Zambian farmers.
The JFPM's chief executive officer, Kgosientso Ramokgopa,
was also pleased with the deal. "The South African food sector is very strong
because it has not been hurt much by the global crisis, and there are opportunities
on the continent with regard to developing skills and improving agriculture
trade," he said.
"The deal signed with Ilamfya fits into our strategy to
ensure food security and affordability in the sub-Saharan region.
"We were attracted to Zambia
because the country serves as a stable gateway to central Africa
and have selected partners who understand the market very well," he explained.
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