To commemorate Africa Day and this year’s theme of accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and deepening economic integration across the continent, the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa (CGA) is proud to announce that citrus growers in Namibia have recently become members of our organisation, which already represents over 1560 growers from South Africa, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
The burgeoning citrus industry in Namibia has tremendous potential. While the citrus yield is still relatively small, with just under 500 tons delivered in 2022, Namibian growers have mapped out a ten-year plan for expansion with the aim of farming 10 000 hectares of citrus creating 60 000 job opportunities by 2033.
To achieve this the growers planted just over 100 000 new citrus trees last year alone. Farmers in the North of the country are also excited about export plans they are making for their region.
“We are a country with many opportunities. It is in our interest to associate with the ‘big elephants’ such as the CGA to further our strategy to become a citrus growing nation. We respect the experience and knowledge of the CGA and are confident being a member of the organisation will help attain our goals,” says André Neethling from Citrus Namibia and a farmer from the Tsumeb area in Northern Namibia.
The CGA now provides Namibian growers with assistance with increasing market access, research and technical support,
logistics coordination and supplying growers with relevant information to make informed decisions.
Justin Chadwick CEO of the CGA shares: “We are happy our Namibian neighbours have become a member of our Southern African organisation, following Botswana joining the CGA towards the end of last year. The CGA and its Grower Development Company remains committed to unlocking the potential of all citrus farmers in the region and ensuring we remain one of the top exporters of quality citrus in the world. Through sharing our knowledge and assisting one another we can grow together and contribute to the economic health of our region. The CGA also looks forward to enlarging our footprint to other African countries in the near future and contributing towards positioning Africa as an economic competitor globally.”
Source: Fresh Plaza
