Since the beginning of time, Namibia has been looking at the availability of specific vegetables and fruits every month, to assess whether there is enough in the country or if imports are required.

Right We are proud to present Namibian fresh-cut produce

When the market share sharing scheme was implemented, Namibia was still importing 95percent of its fruits and vegetables. In reality, with such a tiny population of 2.6 million – should be able enough to eat, according to Gilbert Mulonda of the Namibian Agronomic Board.

Why was it that Namibia is closing its borders for nearly 20 years only be revealed this year? reports that it could be “keeping South African farmers up in the midnight”?

“We were also amazed by the interest,” Mulonda says, “but I’m thinking that the reason for it was the closing of the borders of the potato crop in the time of July or August in the previous year since we were able to grow quite a few of potatoes from our local area.”

In the absence of trade restrictions, Namibia imports around 4,000 tonnes of South African potatoes every month 70 to the 80% that it demands, a fact that can be a major source of stress for the country, however Mulonda observes that National Association of Horticultural Producers (NAHOP) is currently importing the seeds of small-holder farmers from South Africa and France.

Different approaches in South African competition from Namibia and Botswana

South African media reports were confused by the temporary nature of Namibia’s bans with permanentity of Botswana’s bans according to Mulonda states: “The moment you mix Namibia with Botswana it appears that Namibia is also a permanent place to ban However, we can only prohibit when we have enough production.”

Mulonda and his coworkers are convinced that the end is more important than the method. Mulonda and his colleagues believe that their goal is worth the cost. Namibian Agronomic Board identified twenty vegetables that, if they are in season, must be given preference against (mostly) South African produce. The purchase of products in South Africa was cheaper and more convenient for traders to purchase, as He acknowledges that, at the Cape Town fresh produce market just one trip could provide customers with everything they need before being transported into Namibia for a trip of about two to three days.

How can one reduce intense competition of a giant producer such as South Africa but by artificially to protect local produce the thought they came up with in the past, and nearly two decades later, Mulonda says the number of farmers who grow vegetables and fruits is rising, including the former cattle farmers made to search at other grasslands.

Namibia increases up to 56% vegetables at the beginning of ban

The good news is that 100% of Namibia’s horticulture gets water by perennial rivers, aquifers boreholes, and dams. The widespread adoption of horticulture is taking Namibia on the right path in the direction of traditional cattle management.

In the present, the nation produces 29,468 tonnes of food which is enough to meet 56% of the country’s demands, a rise from only five percent in 2005 the official says. The initial goal of self-sufficiency to 60% 20 years ago is being held back due to issues like availability of non-infectious potato seeds, cost-intensive inputs and the lack of any legal structure for protecting the breeders of plants. “For the top 20 varieties of vegetables that are not allowed for importation in times that have sufficient local production local produce is marketed to meet about 70% of demand, and just 30% of it is imported with the exception of sweet potatoes and potatoes, which have a lower than 40% of the local output.”

Namibian product is 10to 15 percent higher priced in comparison to South African produce, he claims, yet consumers do be able to ignore the price difference. “The pricing system we employ isn’t based on supply and demand; it’s determined by import equivalents,” He explains. “When an Namibian trader wants to purchase, say tomatoes, they’d check first the cost in the Cape Town market. This is how they decide the cost.”

Blueberries set to grow to 50ha per year over the coming decade

Namibia is still importing 96% of the fruits that it consumes. Just one percent from Namibian table grapes is consumed in the country, and the grapes are considered to be to be a luxury because it’s expensive for many.

The most widely produced and consumed fruits is oranges that meet the local demand just by 15% along with a tiny amount of the oranges are exported to Angola as well as South Africa.

The 100ha of blueberries will increase by 50ha annually in the next ten years. “All blueberries grown in Namibia are sold towards Europe, the European Union and Asia. Namibia offers the advantage in that we are 3-4 weeks ahead of our rivals that grow blueberries as well as grapes.”

The bananas are grown commercially but not in the communal areas of northern Namibia. A first in a sequence of trials blocks with two varieties of bananas has been set up within the Singalamwe region of the Zambezi Region.

Namibians consume less than 1% the grapes that are grown in Namibia.

“We consider that trade within SACU must be protected from the risk of exploitation”

Closed borders have been a source of concern to South Africa for some time that was discussed with Namibian counterparts as well as at the South African Customs Union (SACU) as well as the regional trade bloc.

“Namibia is one of the members of SACU however we believe that the trade among member states should be considered in a balanced way to stop the an exploitation of a state that is a member as well as potential trade wars” Mulonda maintains, noting that the greatest potential for trade between SACU members are not in the bloc of trade, rather, they are outside. “Collectively SACU can become a large player in the world and continental markets, because there is no way to trade the goods we possess. That’s just not the way to go.”

The SACU agreement needs to be re-examined. “The goals of some members have changed in the time since when the SACU agreement was ratified. It’s time to solve the issues that lead to the protectionist attitude among members states that have growing industries.”

The import restriction selective is not in effect for a long time, he says. The yet to be released agriculture value chain development plan from 2025 until 2030 won’t contain any mention of the stimulus program the official says. “The goal is to get away from border closings, and to position the sector for competitiveness. This scheme is intended to encourage local production and it’s succeeded. The scheme will take time to progression, however we expect in the time period 2025 until 2030, certain of these policies will become more relaxed in the course of time.”

Namibia must evaluate the possibility of easing the import restrictions for seasonal periods according to him, in accordance with the best interest of the business.

Growth in Namibian vegetable exports

The Namibian vegetable industry has responded to the stimulus plan in such a way that the Namibian grown vegetables are now exported. Tomatoes and bell peppers are exported to South Africa, around 13,000 tonnes of onions go to Angola as well as South Africa.

Sonop Farms is among the most well-known of Namibia’s growers of vegetables.

Though not the sole objective of the scheme to promote market share exports can be a natural step towards Namibian agriculture, which is 100% water-fed and thus less susceptible to drought. declared as a state emergency after a portion of the Zambezi River nearly ran dry for the first time ever in history this year. This is the fourth such declaration of a state of emergence in the wake of the drought that has been in place since.

Mulonda admits that he can understand why an South African tomato farmer might be irritated by seeing Namibian tomatoes grown in South Africa while theirs may not even cross the border.

“We are aware of these sentiments However, the entire idea of the scheme was to encourage locally-produced products. We knew that the program was meant in order to encourage local production and we’ve succeeded in doing this. This wasn’t easy.”

He adds: “The advantage is that Namibia is an extremely small nation. It isn’t under pressure because of an increasing population regarding food security as South Africa is. We need a small crop production in where organic farming is feasible, instead of growing regular grain crops which have been genetically modified (GMO).”

Producing vegetables in a world where all ingredients are imported, and when it comes to fertilizers, seeds, and chemicals, are imported twice via South Africa – drive up prices that they’d love to reduce. It is possible to build a fertilizer mixing plant near the ports of Walvis Bay is one way to achieve this.

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Gilbert Mulonda

Namibian Agronomic Board

Tel: +264 61 379 500

Email: [email protected]

https://www.nab.com.na/