Zambian farmers started supplying table grapes to Sainsbury’s in Britain in 2012, but the South African market remains closed – to the growing wrath of Zambian authorities. Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Emmanuel Chenda told Parliament in February that the Zambian government was negotiating with South Africa to relax its rules on the export of Zambian products to that country’s market. Accusing South Africa of imposing non-tariff barriers, he said tests by both South African and Zambian laboratories had shown that Zambian table grapes were disease-free. Chenda said Zambian grapes were being exported to countries across the European Union.
