The challenges of feeding the nation
Correspondent | Friday June 6, 2014 16:46
The Government has implemented a 70/30 system where local procurement is meant to be encouraged and imports controlled. There is evidence in the market that imported products on our shelves are at an alarming level. Furthermore, with resource restrictions in policing this control measure there is certainly room for contravention.
We also face a similar challenge with chop and bran which are bi-products of the maize and wheat milling process.
Batswana are being encouraged to import from Zambia and alternative markets to meet their requirements before the local milling industry’s capacity is explored or exhausted. Perhaps as millers we could do more to advertise or communicate our capability to the farmers throughout the country but certainly key stakeholders in the value chain are well aware of the products available from local millers.
How do we sustain local industries if we continue to encourage and rely on imports – even in the case of self sustaining and successful business sectors? Encouraging imports is counter-productive and poses and existential threat to the milling industry.
The process of awarding import permits, compliance with imposed restrictions and statutory instruments is critical to the milling industry at this stage. The poultry industry has set a good precedent in that they involve key stakeholders in their value chain and make informed and unanimous decisions with Government on whether or not to award permits. We are working towards solutions both internally as the association as well as with government and external stakeholders.
The millers also recognise that it is critical for them to be responsible enough to allow imports, with predetermined conditions and quotas to the market in situations where local supply challenges do occur.
This process has to be balanced with the over arching view that the nation has to be fed and there must be product available for consumers in the market at all times.
Manufacturers need to be incentivised to invest further in this economy and grow to the extent that Botswana becomes a formidable exporter of good quality and competitive products.
In order for the export market to be developed however, one has to have been in a position to cater for and meet the domestic demand, particularly in the agro-processing/ food sector. Food sufficiency and security are of great importance to any economy.
I would like to encourage consumers to ‘Buy Botswana’ and help sustain industrial growth and development. These are the business models and industries that are helping to diversify the economy away from the mining sector and will determine the strength of our economy going forward.
Nkosi Mwaba
Chairman – Botswana Millers Association