The Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) has revealed that the country imports over N$136 million worth of citrus planting materials annually, despite being the third most consumed fruit nationally.
NAB highlighted that 96% of citrus fruits available in Namibia are imported, amounting to an annual expenditure of over N$57.6 million.
According to NAB, citrus exports generated N$23.9 million in 2024, with primary markets being South Africa and Angola.
The Board further reported that 1,783 tonnes of citrus are expected to be harvested in 2025, sourced from over 150,000 citrus trees planted across the country.
“Approximately 70% of this harvest is projected to be distributed through formal markets, while the remaining 30% is expected to circulate via informal channels,” the board said.
Additionally, Namibia enforces a national citrus quality standard (NAMS 0023:2022), which governs the classification, grading, and marketing of citrus fruits.
Commercial citrus farming is concentrated in the Karst, Central, Southern, and Orange River production zones, which are considered optimal for citrus cultivation due to favourable climatic and soil conditions.
This comes as NAB has committed to investing N$250 million over a five-year period, equating to N$50 million per year towards the enhancement of agronomic and horticultural production.
This strategic investment is expected to address import substitution, promote export competitiveness, and facilitate sustainable job creation within the agricultural sector.
Delivering keynote remarks during the launch of the NAB’s updated strategic direction, Chief Executive Officer Fidelis N. Mwazi unveiled the Board’s revised vision and mission statements, which align with its new Integrated Strategic Business Plan (ISBP) and the 5-Year Crop Value Chain Development Strategy (CVCDS) (2025-2030).
Mwazi highlighted that the updated mission emphasises effective legislation, facilitation, and research to ensure the advancement of Namibia’s agronomic sector.
“When we talk about the citrus industry, we are talking about potential, about jobs, about foreign exchange earnings, and most importantly, about transforming the sector to benefit our farmers and the national economy,” Mwazi stated.
The NAB’s renewed strategic focus aims to reduce import dependency, enhance domestic value addition, and contribute to national food security.
The NAB, established under the Agronomic Industry Act (Act No. 20 of 1992), is mandated to regulate, promote, and coordinate the production, processing, storage, and marketing of controlled agronomic crops in Namibia. Citrus fruits are among the products gazetted as controlled under this legislation.
