By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Botswana has announced a phased lifting of restrictions on vegetable imports from South Africa expected to be completed by April 2025.
Botswana and Namibia imposed a prolonged ban on imported vegetables and citrus from South Africa earlier this year to protect local producers and promote self-sufficient food security.
However, the newly elected government of Botswana under President Duma Boko lifted the ban last week. Lifting the ban will be done in two phases.
The initial phase includes the immediate lifting of import restrictions on turmeric, patty pan, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, green peas, mushrooms, and eggplant.
The second phase will take effect in April 2025 on vegetables such as beetroot, butternut, onion, tomatoes, sweet pepper, potatoes, and watermelon.
The National Agricultural Marketing Council said Botswana’s import restrictions led to South Africa’s loss of export earnings as the net exporter of edible vegetables, possible food insecurity in Botswana, and disruption of fragile food systems.
“The inter-dependence and connectedness of the region is depicted by the trade statistics amongst member countries. Botswana is a major market for South Africa’s vegetable exports. Contributing up to 15% of total exports in 2021 at a value of US$33.8 million (R498.8 million).
“Vegetable exports to Botswana decreased by more than half to US$14.7 million (R272.4 million) in 2023, down 8% from 2021,” the council said.
The council said the impact on farmers can be observed by looking at the general inflation of vegetables.
“Vegetable prices, for example, have dropped 4.0% month-on-month and 2.6% year-on-year as of November 2024. This can be a sign of a surplus of some veggies as per the economic theory of supply and demand. This puts downward pressure on prices.
“Inflationary vegetable costs were noted as a major challenge for Botswana’s consumers. Further adding to the strain and threatening food insecurity for lower and some middle-income households,” it said.
The council said the aspirations of the Africa Agenda 2063 promoted through the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme and other tools within the AU, should promote the creation of a single market that caters for all member states.
“Therefore, Southern African Custom Union countries should ensure open trade practices. Namibia should take its cue from Botswana to promote intra-Africa Trade,” the council said.
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.
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.