The Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) initiated awareness sessions aimed at fostering investment in the fruit sector, specifically targeting production and export by local farmers. In collaboration with the European Union-Namibia Economic Partnership Agreement (EU-EPA) programme, these sessions intend to enhance the fruit value chain and elucidate the opportunities for investment and export within the sector. Emily Abraham, a spokesperson for NAB, highlighted the joint effort with EU-EPA, noting a shared investment of approximately N$100 000 in the initiative, with equal contribution from both parties.
The EU's involvement extends beyond financial support, offering technical assistance, training, and capacity building to elevate Namibian producers and exporters to meet European market standards and bolster the competitiveness of Namibian fruits in the EU market. The initiative aims to address the high import rate of fruits, which currently stands at 96%, mainly from South Africa, with a goal to reduce this to around 50%, akin to the strategy for horticultural crops.
With the EU being a significant market for Namibian fruit exports, such as grapes, dates, and blueberries, the campaign seeks to diversify and increase the range of fruits produced and exported under the NAB's development scheme. This includes promoting the production of fruits that are both consumed in high volumes locally and have potential for trade, like apples, grapes, blueberries, bananas, citrus, mangoes, avocados, and pawpaws. Namibia's advantageous trade agreements with the EU, like the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which offers preferential EU market access, underscore the potential for growth in this sector.
Source: www.namibian.com.na