In terms of citrus fruit production, Namibia commercially produces oranges, lemons, and tangerines. Now, Kunene Grapes and Citrus Et Al (Proprietary) Ltd is planning to grow fruits such as grapes, citrus and avocado at a plantation in the northern western part of Namibia. The fruits are planned to be grown on 670 hectares of land in Otjomaungu village in the Epupa Constituency that the company has applied for.
The Namibian Agronomic Board says the horticulture industry in Namibia is growing steadily, but faced with many challenges such as drought, high input cost, pest and diseases. Namibia remains a net importers of mainly fresh fruits, while the production of most vegetables has been on the increase for the past 10 years after the introduction of the market share Promotion Scheme, which requires traders to buy a certain minimum, currently 47% of the value of locally produced products from local producers, as a condition for importation.
Agronomic Board says local production is primarily targeting the fresh produce domestic market and exports of mostly table grapes and onions. The agro processing subsector is still under infancy stage, with less than 1% of production goes into agro processing. The main production areas of the country include Karst, Central, South, Orange River, Kavango, North Central and Zambezi.
Source: observer24.com.na