The Namibia Agronomic Board has prohibited carrot, butternut, beetroot, cabbage and English cucumber imports for February. Effectively, no retailer or purchasing agent may turn to South Africa or anywhere else for fresh produce. Local producers should profit from this. The country’s market-share promotion (MSP) has led to the NAB controlling the importation of certain agri-products to ensure this local procurement.
This step is an indication that – according to NAB estimates- local farmers are expected to harvest enough to meet the country’s demand for the indicated products. Apart from the complete temporary ban on these products, a pro-rata import allocation has been implemented for seven other fresh products, namely green peppers, gem squash, sweet potatoes, sweet melons, round/jam tomatoes, watermelons and onions.
This means retailers and import agents are only allowed to import 30% of these products, and will have to procure the rest locally – unless expected supply changes, the NAB says. According to the board, the country does not have an adequate onion supply for February, since borders will be open for the importation of onions.
Source: namibian.com.na
Photo source: Dreamstime.com
