Who is fooling who?
Just recently agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb expressed disappointment with the low market share of local grown agricultural produce. Like many ministers before him, !Naruseb couldn't fathom the fact that locals had to contend with a market share of just over 40% compared to foreign imports flooding the country, mostly from neighbouring countries like South Africa. For many years now, Namibian producers have been getting the short end of the stick as the lack of stringent import restrictions resulted in foreign producers to flood the local market, leaving local farmers without a secure and ready local market. At the moment only a handful of retailers source agricultural produce locally and this is despite the fact that government has invested millions in green schemes and fresh produce hubs nationwide. It is, however, to our disappointment that we have learnt that government has not provided funds to the Agro Marketing and Trading Agency to allow it to buy mahangu from northern farmers this year. In 2010 AMTA bought 240 tonnes of mahangu, followed by 742 tonnes in 2011, 504 tonnes in 2012, 175 tonnes in 2013, 486 tonnes in 2014, 61 tonnes in 2015 and 1 500 tonnes last year. The fresh produce hubs are the only formal market for mahangu and we can only imagine the anguish felt by producers who have consistently come to the party by producing bumper harvests for the local market. How do we expect farmers to continue producing food if the authorities are not consistently supporting them and run the risk of turning fresh produce hubs into white elephants? It clearly defies all logic for government to cry foul over the foreign-dominated local market for Namibian agricultural produce, while at the same time it is failing to honour its commitment by supporting home-grown farmers. The ministry of agriculture and other important role players must find an immediate solution to this mess.
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Namibian Sun
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