The South African government has requested an urgent meeting with officials in Botswana after the neighbouring country extended a ban on fresh produce imports that was set to expire this month.

Botswana extended the prohibition of fresh produce imports from South Africa until 2025 and increased the number of restricted items.

The Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development minister Thoko Didiza will seek to address any negative impact this may have on trade relations between the two countries during the bilateral meeting, the department said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ban was introduced in 2022 in an effort to boost the local agriculture sector by reducing reliance on imports, meanwhile farmers in South Africa have incurred revenue losses due to the decrease in demand.