Imports Reduced – More Local Horticulture Produce On the Market

Desie Heita

27 May 2011

Windhoek — The drive to substitute imported horticulture produce on the market by more than half with locally grown produce is steadily bearing fruit.

Between August 2010 and May this year, Namibian farmers put an additional 2,5 percent of local produce on the market, edging in slowly in the wide gap between imported produce and locally produced horticulture produce.

The percentage brings the total volumes of local produce on the market to 35 percent – but with 65 percent of the market still filled by imported produce, it is still a steep climb towards achieving the target of filling the market with 60 percent of local horticulture produce.

A recent study commissioned by Government indicates that the agricultural sector could rake in nearly N$70 million annually by merely optimising production of two types of horticulture produce. This would dramatically increase horticulture contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), estimated at between 6 and 7 percent.

The recent 2,5 percent increase in horticulture production came from Ndonga Linena irrigation project, with its first harvest late last year of 20,010 tonnes, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry.

First production at Sikondo irrigation, sometime this year is again expected to significantly push up the total percentage of local horticultural production.

The agriculture ministry, responding to questions from New Era, confidently said efforts to push up production countrywide are ongoing.

“The national horticulture task team continues to push for a bigger share, the percentage [of total production] is expected to increase this year,” said the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development’s media liaison department.

The ministry is also addressing various problems aired by small-scale horticultural farmers, especially problems of access to markets. The agriculture ministry says it is about to start eight fresh produce hubs in Windhoek.

There is currently one fresh produce hub each at Ongwediva in the north and at Rundu in northwest.

According to figures released by the ministry, besides the local market, there is a significant volume of produce such as potatoes and onions exported to Angola.

South Africa also takes a smaller share of onions, sharing available production tonnage from Musese irrigation.

Local South African retail franchise Fruit & Veg also buys significant quantity of other produce such as watermelons, butternuts, cabbage and beetroot.

The agriculture ministry, together with the Namibian Agronomic Board, have for a number of years been pushing for increased horticulture production as well as for retailers to make space for Namibian grown produce.

Not long ago, the Namibian Agronomic Board heightened the promotion drive with a short term branding campaign, called ‘Oshetu’ to promote original Namibian grown produce on the market and stimulate demand among retailers.

Besides “heightened awareness among consumers regarding the advantages of eating locally produced fresh produces”, the branding campaign was also meant to bring about the need for increased marketing infrastructure. This is something Government is now working on.

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