To the outsider, it would appear as though the government of Botswana had farmer Johan van Vuuren and his family in mind when banning the importation of vegetables into the country.
Originally from South Africa, the Van Vuurens emigrated to Botswana 21 years ago. Once here, they realised that they had an ideal opportunity to grow potatoes for local consumption.
Today, Van Vuuren, his brother Fred Sr and his nephew, Fred Jr, produce a combined harvest of nearly 5 000t of potatoes annually.
Van Vuuren attributes much of their success to the years of experience gained by their father in South Africa. Van Vuuren's father started farming near Springbok Flats, in today's
