Namibia's onion glut clashes with four-month shortage

Namibia experiences an oversupply of locally produced onions from May to December, followed by a shortage from January to April, the Namibian Agronomic Board’s (NAB) crop value chain development strategy 2025/26–2029/30 says.The strategy notes that farmers produce enough onions to create a seasonal surplus, yet the country still relies on imports at certain times of the year because of limited storage and value-addition capacity.The strategy's approach effectively targets the gap between the months when farmers have surplus onions and the period when local supply falls short, with storage and processing identified as mechanisms for extending the availability of locally produced onions beyond the harvest season.The seasonal surplus has previously been large enough to feed export markets. In November 2023, Namibia exported onions worth N$20.2 million, according to Namibia Statistics Agency trade data. Of that amount, N$19.6 million was destined for South Africa, with a smaller portion going to Angola.The exports came after the NAB had closed the borders to onion imports, a measure that was reported at the time as supporting local production and limiting reliance on imported onions.But the export figures sit alongside a different pattern later in the season.A study covering the 2015/16 to 2017/18 seasons found that 43% of onions consumed in Namibia were imported from South Africa, with 90% of those imports arriving between January and April.The same NAB study found that only four farms had limited onion-storage facilities, with the quantities stored insufficient to address the off-season supply gap.Some farmers have also attempted to bridge the shortage through production scheduling. The study recorded roughly 300 tonnes supplied by a few farmers in the south-central production areas, who planted in July and August for harvesting in January and February. The quantities, however, were insufficient to meet off-season demand.Intervention planOnions are the second-most consumed vegetable in Namibia after potatoes, according to NAB.NAB has included storage, processing and marketing among its interventions under the five-year strategy.It has budgeted N$31.01 million over five years for processing and value-addition interventions, including expanding domestic processing capacity through an agro-processing scheme and developing standards for the safety and quality of processed products.A further N$16.7 million has been allocated to marketing interventions. These include addressing storage-capacity constraints, promoting locally produced products and facilitating the revitalisation of fresh-produce business hubs.phillipus@nmh-hub.com.na

Namibia's onion glut clashes with four-month shortage

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-24

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Namibia's onion glut clashes with four-month shortage

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-24

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