SA acts on Botswana as veggie-ban dispute spirals

Friday, October 18, 2024 | 2430 Views |

Vegetables produced in Botswana PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG

The South African government has as of May this year heightened standard requirements against vegetables and fresh fruits coming from Botswana trying to enter the South African market, a move experts think could be interpreted as “retaliation”.

Through introducing stricter Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) requirements, the move has been interpreted as a cost-drowning exercise that will squeeze the head of “small economies” experts have revealed.

South African researchers at the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), a premier agriculture trade promotion agency in South Africa have accused Botswana of violating the South African Customs Union (SACU) agreement on free trade, as Botswana marches on a vegetable ban on 32 vegetable types.

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