After a year of in-depth and methodical processes, the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) last week received ISO/IEC 17020:2012 accreditation from the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Services (SADCAS) for its inspection body on the scope of agronomic and horticulture products.
The idea, conceptualised within the Integrated Strategic Business Plan prompted NAB to improve its operational excellence to ensure that they meet the needs and expectations of those they service.
Trust and confidence can be confirmed in accreditation as it ensures that NAB has an inspection body that is accredited so that the certificate of conformity they issue can be accepted everywhere where Namibia is trading impartially, once products are inspected, tested, or certified.
During her congratulatory note, SADCAS Chief Executive Officer, Eve Gadzikwa, commended the Namibian government for its dedication and commitment to strengthening the quality of accreditation and applauded NAB for “thinking globally but acting locally to be able to export”.
“As of 31 May 2024 there were 35 credited facilities in Namibia including the Namibia Agronomic Board, this is a testimony that Namibia has embraced accreditation as a business tool to underpin competency, impartiality on conformity assessment policy,” she said.
“Namibia Agronomic Board is mandated to promote the agronomic industrial sector and also facilitate production, progressing, storage and marketing of controlled agronomic and horticulture products in Namibia through market regulation” Gadzikwa continued.
Moreover, the accreditation received is for the inspection of table grape export, with unique accreditation number INSP15002, indicating that NAB is now an internationally recognised inspection body and it is set to expire in five years when the process is to be restarted.
In attendance, was NAB, Chief Executive Officer, Fidelis Mwazi who highlighted the journey toward accreditation and becoming a world-class regulator.
He also shared on the market promotional scheme which states that any retailer needs to source at least 47% market share of local content and addressing the issue of quality, Mwazi said, “Namibia Agronomic Board has developed a Namibia Food Control System which allows us to look at different aspects of imported, export and local produce in transit and out”.
Further stating that NAB has developed a technical regulation that has been submitted to the ministry to be gazetted.
Last year, NAB got recognition as a verification body by Global. a.p which is a European private company responsible for promoting good, agricultural practices worldwide. NAB with the global. a.p certification will be able to provide farm assessment inspection based on the global. a.p standards and honour farmers who have obtained those standards.
Local producers, Wusten Micro Farmers, Metropolis Investments, Orange River Irrigation Projects, Agricorn Mushroom, and Oribi Asset No.1 were honoured at the ceremony as they meet the global. a.p standards. These certificates are awarded with a global. a.p number that can be fixed on packaging to demonstrate good agricultural practices.