Agricultural organisations have raised concerns following Botswana’s decision to impose a ban on vegetable imports earlier this week, a move that affects South Africa and other regional suppliers.
The ban, announced by Botswana’s Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, covers a wide range of produce, including tomatoes, potatoes, white and red cabbage, white and red onions, watermelon, green papaya, beetroot, carrots, lettuce, strawberries, ginger, red and yellow peppers, garlic and butternut.
Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz), said the decision reflects a worrying pattern among some Southern African Customs Union (SACU) member states.
He said countries such as Botswana and Namibia have repeatedly imposed short-notice restrictions on agricultural imports, often with limited consultation or communication.
“We continuously see countries restricting imports of agricultural products…
