{"id":52838,"date":"2024-08-07T08:17:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T08:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban"},"modified":"2024-08-07T08:29:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T08:29:30","slug":"sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban","title":{"rendered":"SACU Agreement Allows Botswana\u2019S Vegetable Ban"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Botswana. <\/strong><\/span>Article 18 (2) of SACU Agreement permits Botswana, Namibia\u2019s import bans on SA fresh produce<\/p>\n

SA\u2019s Agricultural Business Chamber acknowledges it depends on Southern African trade<\/p>\n

Botswana\u2019s decision to ban importation of fresh produce from South Africa is within provisions of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Agreement that empower member states to control their intake of goods from others.<\/p>\n

However, affected stakeholders in the South African market hold that the ban violates trade agreements in the region.<\/p>\n

Key SACU provision<\/p>\n

According to Article 18 (2) of the SACU Agreement, \u201cmember states have the right to impose restrictions on imports or exports for the protection of humans, animals, plants, the environment, treasures of artistic, historic or archeological value, public morals, intellectual property rights, national security and exhaustible natural resources\u201d.<\/p>\n

Botswana and Namibia have taken advantage of the loophole to exert bans on importation of a range of fruits and vegetables from South African since December 2021.<\/p>\n

Discussion reopened<\/p>\n

A recent social media post by President Mokgweetsi Masisi defending the ban reopened discussion with South Africa\u2019s Agricultural Business Chamber (Agbiz) on the ban.<\/p>\n

The organisation protects the business interests of agribusinesses in South Africa with a focus on legislative and policy issues.<\/p>\n

Agbiz argues that the ban is eating into the country\u2019s market as exporting to neighbouring countries such as Botswana and Namibia was worth up to 60 percent of its vegetable exports before the countries introduced their bans.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeasured response\u201d<\/p>\n

In an even-tempered article published by South Africa\u2019s Daily Maverick of 28 July, the Chief Economist of Agbiz, Wandile Sihlobo, called for \u201ca measured response\u201d to Botswana and Namibia\u2019s continued bans.<\/p>\n

\u201cSouth Africa\u2019s response will need to be sensitive but firm,\u201d he wrote. \u201cAdmittedly, South Africa has significantly benefitted from the African continent in its agricultural export progress.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, in the record agricultural exports of US$13.2 billion in 2023, the African continent accounted for roughly 40 percent.<\/p>\n

SA\u2019s dependence<\/p>\n

\u201cThis figure has been the same for the past decade. Importantly, in every dollar of agricultural products South Africa exports to the African continent, 90 cents is within the Southern African region.<\/p>\n

\u201cThus, an engagement with this region about the export ban must appreciate that South Africa greatly depends on the area as a country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sihlongo argued that Botswana and Namibia\u2019s stance is somewhat hostile, saying aiming to overtake South Africa should not be the two countries\u2019 goal.<\/p>\n

He urged the countries to instead work with South Africa and leverage its technologies in order to increase regional agricultural production.<\/p>\n

Positive spillover<\/p>\n

\u201cThe growth or desire to expand agricultural production in these countries also has a positive spillover for South African agribusiness, which can supply farm implements and inputs to these countries,\u201d Sihlongo wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cBotswana and Namibia should remain open and not hostile in this respect. These Southern African countries should revive the regional spirit and formulate agricultural policies and programmes from that perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hostility among neighbours and offensive communication is not a path to Southern Africa\u2019s agricultural prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source: Botswana Gazette<\/b><\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Botswana. Article 18 (2) of SACU Agreement permits Botswana, Namibia\u2019s import bans on SA fresh produce SA\u2019s Agricultural Business Chamber acknowledges it depends on Southern African trade Botswana\u2019s decision to ban importation of fresh produce from South Africa is within provisions of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Agreement that empower member states […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":52837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[234],"class_list":["post-52838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","tag-botswana"],"yoast_head":"\nSACU Agreement Allows Botswana\u2019S Vegetable Ban - Botswana<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Article 18 (2) of SACU Agreement permits Botswana, Namibia\u2019s import bans on SA fresh produce SA\u2019s Agricultural Business ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SACU Agreement Allows Botswana\u2019S Vegetable Ban\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Article 18 (2) of SACU Agreement permits Botswana, Namibia\u2019s import bans on SA fresh produce SA\u2019s Agricultural Business ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Botswana\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-07T08:17:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-07T08:29:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/botswana\/sites\/38\/2024\/08\/sm_1723006695.465516.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"973\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"SACU Agreement Allows Botswana\u2019S Vegetable Ban\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-08-07T08:17:57+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-07T08:29:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban\"},\"wordCount\":522,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/botswana\/sites\/38\/2024\/08\/sm_1723006695.465516.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Botswana\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"files\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/botswana\/all-news\/sacu-agreement-allows-botswanas-vegetable-ban\",\"name\":\"SACU Agreement Allows Botswana\u2019S Vegetable Ban - 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