The Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) says the country is set to gradually ease its import restrictions on select fruits and vegetables under a new crop value chain development strategy for 2025-2030.
According to the NAB’s General Manager for Agronomy and Horticulture Development, Gilbert Mulonda, these selective import bans, implemented since 2005, have boosted domestic production and reduced the country’s reliance on imports, but the NAB now aims to transition toward a more competitive market.
“The aim is to move away from protection and border closures and position the industry to be competitive. The scheme has achieved its goal of supporting local production, and we foresee that by 2030, many of these measures will be relaxed,” he said.
Mulonda also highlighted the importance of balancing trade within the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) to prevent economic exploitation and trade tensions.
Namibia supports a review of the SACU agreement to reflect the changing priorities of its member states and promote fairer trade dynamics.
“The priorities of certain member states have changed since the SACU agreement was signed. We need to resolve the problem that leads to protectionism amongst member states with developing industries,” he said.
For nearly two decades, Namibia has worked to reduce its reliance on imported fruit and vegetables, aiming for food security and supporting local agriculture.
Initiated in 2005, the country’s market share promotion scheme has gradually pushed domestic farming forward, with locally grown vegetables now covering 56% of Namibia’s needs, a substantial increase from just 5% when the programme began.
Currently, Namibia’s irrigated horticulture covers staple vegetables, with local products like tomatoes and onions even finding export markets in South Africa and Angola.
Although the country still imports over 96% of its fruit, locally grown blueberries and table grapes have gained a competitive edge in European and Asian markets, where Namibia’s early harvest window offers an advantage.
“The advantage is that Namibia is a very small country. We’re not under pressure as a result of a growing population yet in terms of food, the way that South Africa is. Our country needs very small production of staple crops in which the possibility of organic growing is possible instead of producing staple grain crops that are genetically modified organisms (GMOs),” he said.
