Calling all planters

National Horticulture Day will take place on 26 September and producers are called upon to submit entries for the 2018 Horticultural Producer of the Year awards. The awards recognise the extraordinary breed of horticulture producers who have made a success of their farming business through sheer determination, dedication and foresight. Honouring such achievements is one important effort aimed at encouraging local supply of fresh produce, whilst decreasing our dependence on imports - or import substitution as it is known in the industry. The horticulture industry in Namibia is regulated through the Market Share Promotion scheme, or MSP, where all importers of fresh fruit and vegetables in Namibia are required to buy a minimum percentage of their fresh produce from Namibian producers – before they are granted a permit to import fresh produce from outside the country. Currently this minimum stands at 44%, up from a mere 5% at the inception of the MSP scheme during 2005. As a result of this voluntary agreement between producers and traders, the local horticultural industry in Namibia continues to grow. The Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) plays a crucial role in facilitating and overseeing the implementation of this agreement which is implemented by the Agro Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA), the agent appointed by the NAB.Producers can submit entries for the title of the 2018 Horticultural Producer of the Year across three different categories namely;- Large Scale Horticulture Producer of the Year, where the production takes place on an area of 10 or more hectares per annum.- Medium Scale Producer of the Year, where the production takes place on an area of between 3 to 10 hectares per annum.- Small Scale Producer of the Year, where production takes place on 3 hectares or less per annum.Applications can either be submitted through the representative of the National Association of Horticultural Producers (NAHOP), or directly to NAB. Entries close on 27 April and farm evaluation visits are scheduled during the period 14 to 24 May. This will be done by a panel of judges comprising representatives from the NAB, NAHOP, the agricultural ministry, AMTA, AGRIBUSDEV and the previous winner of the award. Entry forms are available either through the NAHOP Area Committee Representatives, or may be downloaded from the NAB website at www.nab.com.na.STAFF REPORTER

Calling all planters

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-06-18

Please login to leave a comment

Calling all planters

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-06-18

Please login to leave a comment

Login