In the last four months of 2024, Namibia imported potatoes valued at approximately US$2.9 million, primarily from South Africa. According to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) report on fourth quarter agriculture and fishing indicators, the import bill for horticulture products reached about US$20.4 million.
The report states, "This is a decline when compared to N$338.1 million that was recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2023."
Efforts to reduce import reliance include the Sikondo Green Scheme in the Kavango West region, which harvested 300 tonnes of potatoes in January. The second potato cycle is expected around June, with the third cycle planting in July and harvesting in December. Sikondo encompasses 850 hectares of arable land under irrigation, segmented into medium-scale (approximately 270ha) and commercial-scale (approximately 320ha) farming sections.
Other imports comprised apples (US$2.1 million), tea leaves (US$0.9 million), vegetable seeds (US$0.9 million), and bananas (US$0.8 million). The report notes, "Horticulture products were mainly sourced from South Africa, accounting for 95.7% during the period under review."
Namibia has aimed to reduce its reliance on imported produce for nearly two decades, focusing on food security and local agriculture support. The Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) indicated plans to ease import restrictions on certain fruits and vegetables under a new crop value chain development strategy for 2025 to 2030.
Initiated in 2005, the market share promotion scheme boosted domestic farming, with locally grown vegetables now meeting 56% of Namibia's needs, up from 5% at the program's inception. The original target was 60% self-sufficiency in 20 years, but challenges such as the availability of disease-free potato seed have delayed progress.
Currently, local produce like tomatoes and onions are exported to South Africa and Angola. Despite high fruit imports (over 96%), Namibian blueberries and table grapes have penetrated European and Asian markets due to early harvests.
Namibia exported horticultural products valued at approximately US$86.4 million, marking a 3.3% increase from the same period in 2023. Grapes were the principal export, valued at US$80.2 million, followed by tomatoes (US$1.4 million) and watermelons (US$1.1 million). The report highlights, "The Netherlands was the main export destination for horticulture during the fourth quarter of 2024, accounting for 36.6%, followed by the United Kingdom (23.8%), and Germany, accounting for 9.3%, respectively."
Source: The Namibian