Local food production is finally taking off because of policy initiatives over the years. However, Namibia is still importing most of its fruits and vegetables. That is why the Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) has focused multiple efforts to assist Namibian producers in the marketing and selling of their produce locally as well as internationally.
NAB spokesperson Auguste Fabian said the most notable initiative is the market share promotion (MSP) scheme, which is a horticultural scheme that came into effect in 2004. “The scheme is a growth at home strategy, implemented by the NAB and aims at stimulating horticultural production in Namibia and the promotion of local sales of locally produced fresh fruits and vegetables by encouraging importers such as wholesalers, catering companies and retailers to source locally.”
To further boost the MSP scheme, the NAB introduced the horticulture special control products (SCP) scheme in 2012. The scheme allows the implementation of import restrictions on selected horticultural products during times of sufficient local production, which encourages fresh produce traders to source locally-produced horticultural products.
The project was supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Source: neweralive.na