AMTA, Fysal deal criticised

The Swapo Party Youth League's regional secretary for Oshana Region, Twiihendeni Israel, is not impressed with a deal between Fysal Fresh Produce and the Agro-Marketing Trading Agency (AMTA) that allows Fysal to operate as a trading agency at AMTA's national fresh-produce hubs.AMTA managing director Lungameni Lucas has urged the SPYL regional leaders to organise the youth so that they can utilise the remaining space available at the hubs instead of criticising efforts aimed at national development.Israel also questioned AMTA's initiative to establish a new hub at Tsumeb.AMTA last month entered into a public-private partnership agreement with Fysal Fresh Produce to operate from its national fresh-produce hubs nationwide.Israel criticised this deal, saying Fysal was an established business empire while AMTA's hubs were established to help small-scale farmers to sell their produce. He said AMTA was slowly losing its focus. “AMTA's establishment was a great opportunity for small and medium enterprises in the agronomic business. By involving established companies like Fysal it will only create a monopoly, which is not good for our smaller businesses,” Israel said.He said Fysal, whose products mainly come from South Africa, will end up selling the produce of South African farmers at AMTA's hubs.AMTA was established in 2013 and according to Israel it has failed in its purpose.“The place is a hub and it needs to be marketed for it to become viable and the government does not have money for that. “Do they want the place to become a white elephant or what? Where are we going to get people to manage that facility if we do not have the capacity? We tried for the past four years but it could not work,” Lucas said. Lucas said the hubs could not source enough produce and were operating at a loss. He said Fysal was there to help small traders who represent farmers, since it had the capacity.“We still have two places available at Ongwediva hub, let them come on board and see how they can help build the nation. Fysal has trucks that go empty to South Africa, what if we use them to transport our products to South Africa or Angola?” he asked. Israel said the money AMTA planned to spend on a new hub at Tsumeb could be used to construct value-addition facilities at one of the existing hubs.According to Lucas, however, the hub at Tsumeb is not being constructed by AMTA. He said a private investor wanted to establish a storage facility there.“AMTA does not have money to establish this facility. These are private investors and their interests are not in value addition but in storage facilities. At AMTA we do not have storage facilities, but what we have are marketing hubs. Investors want to be keeping their products for longer periods but we do not have such facilities,” Lucas said.He said there were many producers in the Tsumeb area and they would like to establish storage facilities there. ILENI NANDJATO

AMTA, Fysal deal criticised

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-15

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AMTA, Fysal deal criticised

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-15

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