Botswana, Namibia vegetable-import bans violate SACU agreement, says Agri SA

South Africa's agricultural industry body, Agri SA, has appealed to the country's Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, to step in over the unjustified bans on certain agricultural imports by Botswana and Namibia. These bans, which include key commodities like tomatoes, potatoes, beetroot, cabbage, and coloured peppers, are perceived to breach the Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) agreement. The countries have defended their actions by citing the need to safeguard their local production, despite continuing to export their surplus to South Africa. In response, Agri SA is advocating for the government to counter these protective measures with equivalent measures and to cease payments to these countries from the Common Revenue Pool until their borders are reopened to South African goods. The organisation also emphasizes the need for urgent dialogue between the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and the Agricultural Trade Forum to address the competitive disadvantage South African farmers face due to higher labour costs.