Pace of Vegetable Farmers not Fast Enough to Meet Demand

• But report says local production has continued to improve, going from 37,000 tonnes in 2018/19 and to about 40,000 tonnes in 2020/21

This is according to figures in a new study by the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) titled “Market Opportunities for Restricted Horticulture Crops in Botswana.” The shortfall has come under sharp relief since the government slapped a ban on importation of fruits and vegetables on New year’s Day 2022 that is reviewed every two years.

The study notes that vegetables restricted from importation include tomatoes, carrots, beetroots, potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, chilli peppers, butternut, watermelons, sweet peppers, green mealies, and fresh herbs. According to the study, local production has continued to improve, going from 37,000 tonnes in 2018/19 and steadily to about 40,000 tonnes in 2020/21. In value terms, locally produced vegetables increased from P125 million in 2028/19 to P188 million in 2020/21.

“Imports, on the other hand, have also continued to increase year-on-year since 2017, at 27,000 tonnes for three consecutive years from 2017-2019, and, in value terms increasing from P139 million in 2017 to P162 million both in 2018 and 2019,” says the report. “Imports continued to increase in 2020 to about 34,000 tonnes valued P197 million.” The study says during a nine-month period in 2021, imports amounted to 33,000 tonnes valued P194 million. Exports remain insignificant, at values of less than P300 000 annually and less than 25 tonnes on average.

“To substitute vegetables imported in 2020, it is estimated that the size of land required will amount to 902ha, assuming no harvest loss,” it says. “Considering farm losses of about 30 percent, 1289ha of land will be needed to produce 2020 imports quantities.” According to the report, there are five major areas along the Shashe River, the Molopo-Limpopo and Boteti Rivers identified as major horticulture agro-ecological zones. Another three regions – Kweneng, Boteti and the North East – have already been designed and implemented National Cropping Plans.

“Evidently, imports (54 percent) slightly outweigh local production (46 percent), and there is need to more than double production to meet local demand during the period of import restriction,” the study says. Exports remain very insignificant, ranging from 11 tonnes in 2017 (valued about P173 000) to 21 tonnes at a value of about P240 000 in 2019. The report says exports decreased dramatically to about 2 tonnes in 2020, at a value of about P48 000.  “Therefore, with the foregoing picture depicted by the local market, to satisfy the local demand for the restricted vegetables, local production needs to increase by more than 34,000 tonnes,” it says.

Potatoes, tomatoes, onions, peppers and carrots are identified as the five vegetables in higher demand in Botswana. “The total demand of these five vegetables stood at P293 million, with imports accounting for P155 million and local production at P136 million in 2020,” says the report.   “It reveals that more than half of the demand these vegetables were met by imports with the highest being potatoes and carrots (as) the least imported among the five crops “To substitute the imports, it is estimated that the size of land required to produce about 34 000 tonnes of vegetables or even more will amount to 902ha assuming no harvest loss.”

Considering farm losses of about 30 percent, 1289ha of land will be needed to produce and replace the same level of imports of 2020. “In conclusion, on the market size, the local market is still generally dominated by imports, contributing 54 percent while local production stands at 46 percent in satisfying the local demand,” says the report. The study says a further increase in production would support the agro-processing industry and an increase in exports, which are currently negligible.

It notes that on a positive note, 10 of 16 restricted products have quality grading standards developed by Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS). These are expected to facilitate formal market access by compensating the farmers according to the quality standards perceived by the market. Rewards for quality are expected to drive farmers towards production under the protected environments with even higher quality and yields compared to open field production methods. Recommendations made in the study are to facilitate increased production and achievement of self-sufficiency in these crops in the short to medium term.

“There is need to develop and coordinate a nation cropping plan with immediate effect to ensure consistent supply of horticulture production in Botswana,” the report notes. It recommends that LEA should facilitate local production of seedlings for the restricted priority crops to ensure local access to quality seedlings in the short term and promote and support expansion of production within the horticulture agro ecological zones.

It also recommends that LEA should identify and facilitate access to productive lands in the horticulture agro ecological zones for potential start-up framers and LEA horticulture incubation graduates, as well as promote production under a controlled environment for specified crops through domestication of appropriate production technologies for SMMEs.