Agronomy production declines by 44%

Total agronomy production decreased from 33 946 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 18 929 tonnes during the same period of 2023, marking a 44.2% reduction in production levels.

Statistics released by the Namibian Statistics Agency indicate that the decline stems primarily from millet, white maize and wheat, which experienced decreases of 90.2%, 89%, and 25.8%, respectively.

Wheat production stood at 17 847 tonnes (a share of 94.3%), compared to 24 059 tonnes recorded in the same quarter of 2022.

White maize recorded a production volume of 1 023 tonnes during the period under review.

During the fourth quarter of 2023, the total export value of agronomy products stood at N$610 200, lower compared to N$1.3 million recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2022.

The majority of export earnings came from maize, totaling N$603 700 and accounting for 98.9% of total exports.

Exports of cereal grains destined for Botswana accounted for a share of 91.6%, followed by Angola with 8.3% and South Africa with a marginal share of 0.1%.

Import numbers

In terms of imports, cereal grains during the fourth quarter of 2023 were valued at N$519.9 million, an increase from N$358 million recorded during the same quarter of 2022.

During the period under review, the import bill for maize stood at N$344.4 million, followed by wheat (N$160.3 million) and rice (N$7.2 million).

The cereal grains imported during the quarter under review were mainly sourced from South Africa (70.7%), Lativia (28.4%) and India (0.4%).

The report noted that Namibia’s import bill for horticulture products stood at N$338.1 million during the fourth quarter of last year, an increase from N$279.1 million compared to 2022.

Stimulant, spice and aromatic crops were the top imported products, amounting to N$62.3 million.

This was followed by potatoes amounting to N$54.7 million, vegetable seeds (N$23.2 million) and tea leaves (N$16.4 million).

Market sources

The report noted that horticulture products were mainly sourced from South Africa, amounting to 91.8% of the total during the period under review.

Namibia exported horticultural products worth N$1.3 billion during the fourth quarter of 2023, up from N$1.2 billion that was exported in the corresponding quarter of 2022.

Grapes were the top exported products, amounting to N$1.2 billion, followed by onions (N$46.3 million) and tomatoes (N$22 million).

The main export destination for horticultural products during the fourth quarter of 2023 was the Netherlands, accounting for 33.8%. The United Kingdom and South Africa followed in second and third positions with shares of 24.2% and 10.7%, respectively. The main product exported was grapes.

Market protection schemes

The report explained that special-controlled fresh produce encompasses all fruits and vegetables regulated by the Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) through import restrictions and market share promotion schemes.

Through border control measures, NAB ensures that no imports of fresh produce are permitted when there is sufficient domestic supply.

Similarly, the market share promotion scheme compels buyers to source a certain percentage of their demand from the local market before they are granted import permits. These government initiatives are designed to secure markets for local producers.

During the fourth quarter of 2023, locally purchased controlled fresh produce stood at 8 988 tonnes, as opposed to 7 886 tonnes recorded during the corresponding quarter of 2022. Potatoes continued to dominate the local market, recording 2 660 tonnes, followed by onions with purchases amounting to 1 513 tonnes, and watermelons, with 1 002 tonnes.

Carrots (755 tonnes), tomatoes (574 tonnes), and cabbage (487 tonnes) were among the top six locally purchased domestic produce.