03 Dec 2024

Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Micus Chimbombi has underscored the need for the review of the two-year-old ban on the importation of certain horticultural products.  

The review, Dr Chimbombi said in an interview on Monday, would involve a thorough assessment of the ban’s impact.

“We are looking into what it is serving and what should it be serving for the benefit of stakeholders involved or the detriment it is causing,” Dr Chimbombi said.

He acknowledged the existence of diverse stakeholders with vested interests in the matter. Dr Chimbombi said any decision regarding the ban, whether to maintain or lift it, would require careful consideration of all affected parties.  

He highlighted the potential for strained relations with neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa, due to the prolonged ban. He differentiated between horticultural products that Botswana could produce domestically and those requiring importation due to a lack of local production capacity. 

Dr Chimbombi underscored the new government’s commitment to food security as a national priority.

Looking ahead, Dr Chimbombi stated said government intended to bolster the domestic horticultural sector where feasible, thereby lessening the country’s reliance on imported goods.

The review of the import ban, therefore, he said, is intended to balance the need for food security with the maintenance of positive trade relationships with neighbouring states.  

However, he did not provide the timeline for the completion of the review. Government intoduced a ban on the imporrtation of 16 horticultural products such as onions, butternuts, tomatoes, watermelons, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, ginger among other things, in January 2022.

The ban was initially set to end in January 2024, but govenment extended the ban to December 2025.  Ends