Import ban triggers vegetable price hikes, shortages
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Effected last December through the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security, the ban prohibits the importation of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, bell peppers, melon pear and beetroot.
This came after a highly destructive insect pest known as tomato leaf miner or tuta absoluta was detected in the Bobirwa, Boteti, Chobe, North East, and North West areas.
While the political shift brings hope for change, it also places immense pressure on the new administration to deliver on its election promises in the face of serious economic challenges.On another level, newly appointed Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe’s grim assessment of the country’s finances adds urgency to the moment. The budget deficit, expected to be P8.7 billion, is now anticipated to be even higher due to underperforming diamond...