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GAME INDUSTRY TRENDS ANALYSIS 2024
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Botswana Lifts Ban On Vegetable Imports From South Africa
Botswana lifts ban on vegetable imports from South Africa
By Glenneis Kriel | 18 December 2024 | 7:51 pm
Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of Agbiz, said that the phasing out of the ban was good news for South African farmers as vegetable prices declined by roughly 4% since the introduction of import bans from neighbouring countries, such as Botswana and Namibia.
Botswana’s Ministry of Lands and Agriculture has lifted import restrictions on several vegetables, including broccoli, turmeric, pumpkin, eggplant, and cauliflower, with immediate effect. Photo: FW Archive
It is also good news for the people of Botswana. Sihlobo explained that vegetable price inflation there currently sat at 13,6%, compared to those in South Africa which had deflated to -2,6% in November.
“The phasing out of the export ban will result in consumers of Botswana having access to better-quality and -priced food,” he said.
The lifting of the ban will also help to restore goodwill in the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Sihlobo added that the next step would be for Namibia to follow Botswana’s example.
“Going forward, each country should communicate its ambitions and not resort to trade-distorting mechanisms that undermine consumer welfare. South Africa, as a significant agricultural producer in the region, should also continuously seek to broaden export markets in other areas, such as Asia and the Middle East to reduce its reliance on the Southern Africa region.”
Restrictions
Mogomotsi Moatswi, chair of the Botswana Horticulture Council, said that the council agreed with the decision of the new administration of Botswana, as the impact of the bans on local production and consumption was considered holistically before it was made.
This is confirmed in the announcement of the ban, where the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture in Botswana stated that it would impose import restrictions on any horticulture products as and when local production of commodities were relatively high and available, to balance the national needs and the interest of various stakeholders.
Moatswi said that the import bans were introduced in 2022 to stimulate local production and to reduce Botswana’s dependence on food imports from other countries.
Unlocking potential
In addition to import bans, he said the Botswana government needed to look at ways to industrialise fertiliser, seed and irrigation manufacturing to unlock the full potential of farmers in this region.
Sihlobo said that South Africa could play a major role in helping Botswana unlock agricultural potential where land capabilities permitted it, through the sharing of technologies.
“There are already some cases in which various countries in the region benefit from South Africa’s agriculture technologies. A case in point is the citrus industry, where research is primarily done in South Africa and shared with the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa members.”
“Similarly, South Africa has imported some vaccines for the livestock industry from Botswana in the past few months.”
The lifting of the ban on vegetable imports to Botswana will be done in phases. According to the statement of the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture in Botswana, import restrictions on turmeric, patty pan, pumpkin, sweet potato, green pea, broccoli, cauliflower, gem squash, baby marrow, green bean, sweet melon, mushroom, calabash, cantaloupe and eggplant have been lifted with immediate effect.
The lifting of import restriction on beetroot, butternut, cabbage, carrot, garlic, ginger, green mealie, herbs, lettuce, onion, potato, sweet pepper, tomato and watermelon will be implemented on a gradual and phased basis as informed by need and capacity by 1 April 2025, subject to review which incorporates SACU considerations.
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