During the dawn of 2022, government imposed a vegetable ban against the importation of 16 vegetable types.
The reason for this ban, as communicated by government then, was to improve the local farming supply chains and to drive the country towards food self-reliance while protecting the embryonic agricultural sector from competition.
The decision to constrict vegetable inflow into the country came to many as a surprise, portraying the image of overly reliant Botswana finally becoming resilient, after the country has had a trade track record of being an overall net exporter for most of her commodities.
Before the ban was instituted, local production of potatoes accounted for 49% of the national demand while tomatoes accounted for 44% of the national demand and onions 49%. The country was clearly far from meeting its national demand. For many years Botswana has been known as a net exporter, marking itself as a dependent state especially on neighbouring South Africa for her bread and butter.
In Africa, South Africa is amongst the top suppliers of food underpinned by century long investments in agricultural finance, irrigation infrastructure, and technology and skill development across a number of agricultural commodities and diverse climate.
Government’s decision to embargo entry of 16 vegetable types into the country sent pain direct to South Africa where large scale farmers have been thriving economically on Botswana being another mouth to feed. Immediately after the announcement of the ban, farmer corporatises in South Africa were quick to voice their dismay over government’s decision and even threatening to propel government to engage in a trade war with Botswana. Industrial farmers in South Africa, through the National Agricultural Marketing Council, voiced their dismay over the ban citing that Botswana is a betrayer, betraying their affiliation to a united Africa and even betraying their affiliation to their Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
“This is unfortunate and raises greater concerns about creating the “Africa We Want” – the aspiration of the Africa Agenda 2063 which is promoted through the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme and other tools that the African Union is promoting to create a single market that caters for all Africans,” officials said .
The council ended their press release on a strong advisory note, compelling Botswana to open its borders before it destabilises trade in SACU region. “Botswana makes up an undeniably significant market share of vegetables exported to SACU, hence the decision to ban imports from South Africa is causing challenges for South African farmers and agribusinesses,” the presser revealed.
It is evident that the pressure and outcry against the vegetable ban echoes from one end of the region and that is from South Africa. Analysts from the economic divide have since the ban been torn on whether government should yield to this advice and avoid a possible trade war or government enclave should stand its ground and protect its infant industries.
Sheer outcry from farmers in South Africa is not the only pinch government is feeling over its ban decision, vegetable shelves in retail outlets are slowly emptying and government is bracing a face off against a dread monster, “El Nino”.
El Nino, the cyclical climate phenomenon that in the SADC region causes heat waves and extreme droughts, is the bane of local farmers. In years past, the phenomenon used to occur roughly once every seven years, but in the last two decades, it has become a more frequent, unwanted visitor, due to the effects of climate change.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), meanwhile, expects El Nino conditions to return by June 2023, warning that the phenomenon is “a key driver of extreme weather events that pose high risks to global food security”.
“Countries where the entire crop cycle could be affected by drier than-average weather conditions are of particular concern, as water deficits could curtail both plantings and yields with compounding negative impacts on final production,” FAO researchers stated.
This time around, El Nino is expected to empty shelves amid an already infant agricultural sector. Government enclave is at a cross roads, grappling with two obstacles to her efforts; first political pressure and second a natural phenomenon threatening to rubbish government efforts. Southern African Development Community (SADC) policy advisors through their annual regional Synthesis Report have joined the gang, advising against the move to ban vegetables, citing heightened food insecurity as the main reason for advising against the ban.
“Multiple natural and man-made disasters add acuteness to the region’s food and nutrition insecurity and thus we encourage countries to keep trade open and priorities intra SADC trade for food and other commodities,” the report read.
The main worry has however, been that South Africa wields political power more than any country in the region because of its economic muscle and strong political systems. The outcry by major regional bodies to which South Africa belongs has raised eyebrows as to whether this institutions are Trojan horses pushing the South African agenda.
Namibia has joined Botswana to defy the advice of regional bodies, prioritising its infant industries and seeking to diversify their economy beyond dependence on South Africa.
While pressure mounts and shelves are expected to empty, the government of Botswana still stands its ground and is not willing to yield to any of these pressures.
During the Kgotla meeting that President Mokgweetsi Masisi has been addressing, he has promised that during the expiry of the two- year ban, which is set for January 2024, the position of government is to extend the ban and even include more vegetables. “We are thinking of including more vegetables and even extend the ban when it expires,” the President said.