Zambia: Tobacco Farmers Upbeat About AGOA Forum

Source from:  Times of Zambia 04/02/2011

THE tobacco farming community is expectant about the forthcoming African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) to be held in Zambia saying, it will give the country increased opportunity for expanded trade with the United States. Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ) chief executive officer, Aven Muvwende said tobacco farmers are positive that agriculture and tobacco in particular will benefit through increased export to US under the AGOA. "In the first instance, allow me to show gratitude to the Government for accepting the Chairmanship and hosting the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum in Zambia. "The AGOA Forum will definitely give Zambia an increased opportunity for expanded trade with the United States of America (USA)," said Mr Muvwende in response to a press query. Agriculture is one of the sectors to fully utilise the opportunity and apart from tobacco, crops that have potential for export include coffee, cotton and groundnuts. He said Zambia produces high quality and full-flavour flue-cured Virginia, dark fire and burley tobaccos. In 2010, at least 39 million kilogrammes of tobacco was produced by 18,000 farmers. Mr Muvwende said Zambia is in an excellent position to export tobacco. The AGOA Forum to be held in Lusaka in June will be an opportunity for America to start importing full flavour tobacco from Zambia. "Vice -versa, USA should utilise this opportunity to market their tobacco production protocols and tobacco inputs including tobacco literature, seed, fertiliser, chemicals, packaging materials as well as processing machinery," he said. He said during the forum, the USA should be encouraged to invest in the establishment of tobacco processing and cigarette manufacturing factories in Zambia. The country has no facilities for tobacco value adding and cigarette manufacturing industries. "However, to facilitate tobacco trade, the AGOA Forum should also discuss and address the implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) articles. "There is need for consideration of the fact that tobacco is a source of livelihood for many countries in the sub-Saharan Africa," Mr Muvwende said. USA needs to through AGOA, provide support and protection to developing countries whose major income is from tobacco production and export. Enditem