Ministry of Environment and Tourism2010

DEVIL’S CLAW POLICYNAMIBIA

Understanding the Policy

In 2010, the Government of Namibia approved a ‘National Policy on the Utilization of Devil’s Claw (Harpagophytum) Products’. This Information Pamphlet contains all the information that harvesters, traders and exporters dealing with Namibian Devil’s Claw will need in order to familiarise themselves with the Policy and how it relates to them and their activities, and understand the necessity for the sustainable use of the Devil’s Claw resource.

All artwork by Dudley Viall, photographs by Karen Nott/IRDNC.

__________________________Ministry of Environment and Tourism

Table of Contents

The Devil’s Claw plant..........................................................................2

Who needs a permit?............................................................................4

Who needs to register?........................................................................6

What is registration about?...............................................................6

What do I have to do to register?...................................................7

How do I get a permit?.........................................................................9

Why do permits matter?....................................................................10

How to harvest Devil’s Claw............................................................11

How to process Devil’s Claw............................................................13

How to trade in Devil’s Claw...........................................................14

How to export Devil’s Claw..............................................................16

Other types of Devil’s Claw permits............................................18

The Devil’s Claw plant Devil’s Claw is a plant that grows in Namibia but it is also found in some parts of other southern African countries such as Angola, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. There are two different types of Devil’s Claw. They look similar and are used in the same way.Indigenous people have used Devil’s Claw for thousands of years. It contains a special medicine that is especially good for treating bones and joints. People in other countries buy Devil’s Claw from Namibia to make medicine.

Devil’s Claw has a main taproot and side tubers grow off this main taproot. The substance that makes Devil’s Claw a good medicine is only found in the side tubers, not in the taproot. Harvesters should only harvest the side tubers, not the main taproot.

The side tubers are important to the plant. They store water and food for the plant to survive during the dry season. This is why only half of the side tubers should be harvested. If they are all taken the plant will die.

Because people in other countries want to buy Devil’s Claw, Namibians can earn money by harvesting and processing it. We must be careful not to harvest too much.

The Government wants to make sure that not too much Devil’s Claw is harvested. This is why nobody is allowed to harvest Devil’s Claw without a permit or in such a way that the plant dies. It is possible to harvest Devil’s Claw and still protect the resource.

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Who needs a permit?

Any person who works with Devil’s Claw needs a permit. Below is a list of the different types of people who work with Devil’s Claw.

Harvester: this is a person who digs out the side tubers, then cuts and dries them before packing them into bags to sell.Trader: this is a person who buys Devil’s Claw from the harvesters and then sells it to someone else.Exporter: this is a person who buys Devil’s Claw and sells it to people in other countries.Transporter: this is a person with a vehicle who takes bags of Devil’s Claw from one place to another in Namibia.Cultivator: this is a person who plants and cares for Devil’s Claw in a field.Researcher: this is a person who studies Devil’s Claw, i.e., where and how it grows, how it is used etc.

All of these people need to apply to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for a permit before they can work with Devil’s Claw.You can get the forms from your nearest Regional MET Office and you can hand in your application there as well. Your permit will be sent to the office where you applied for it.2 3

Who needs to register?

Traders and exporters need to register with MET before they can apply for a Devil’s Claw permit. Harvesters, transporters, cultivators and researchers do not need to register.

Traders and exporters need to be registered with MET before their application for a Devil’s Claw permit can be processed by MET.

What is registration about? The MET needs to be sure that the Devil’s Claw

resources are being used in the right way. One way of doing this is making a policy.

The Devil’s Claw Policy explains what everyone working with Devil’s Claw needs to do to help take care of Namibia’s Devil’s Claw so that it will still be there for future generations to benefit from.

Before you can get registered, you must write a test. The questions in the test are about the Devil’s Claw Policy. If you pass the test, then you will be given a registration number.

Registration lasts for three years then you will need to write a test again.

Your registration number needs to be written on all your application and report back forms.

What do I have to do to register?

First of all you need to be familiar with all the information in this Information Pamphlet, so collect a copy from your nearest MET office and study it well in your own time. You need to know all the facts contained in this Information Pamphlet before you attempt the test.

When you are ready, go back to the MET Office with a copy of your ID and write the test.

You can either do the test by reading the questions and marking the right answers yourself, or you can ask the MET Official to help you. The MET Official can read the questions to you and then mark your answers on the test sheet.

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The test sheets will be sent to Windhoek to be marked. Your permit application can also be sent with the test.If you pass the test you will be given a piece of paper that says you are registered and gives your registration number. This will be sent back to the Regional Office along with your permit.

If you do not pass the test and need to rewrite it, the MET will send you a letter to tell you this. You will need to study and then go and write the test again.

How do I get a permit?Step 1:Get a form for a permit from the nearest MET office. There are different forms for harvesters, traders and exporters.Step 2:

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Collect permit application form(s) from METCollect Registration Test study material (i.e., this 'Understanding the Policy' pamphlet )Study this 'Understanding the Policy' pamphlet until you are confident that you know all the informationComplete your permit application form(s) and submit to METWrite the Registration TestRegistration Test script gets sent to MET Windhoek Permit Office for markingPermit application form(s) get sent to MET Windhoek Permit Office for approvalRecieve Registration Certificate and Registration NumberStudy and write Registration Test again

Fill in all the information on the form and sign the form. Take the form to the MET office. You will need a copy of your ID.Step 3: Pay for your permit. Keep the receipt with you. Step 4:Go back to the permit office to find out whether your permit has been approved. Take your receipt with you.Step 5:Keep your permit with you whenever you are working with Devil’s Claw.Step 6:Give your ‘Report Back’ form to the MET office before the date shown on the permit. If you do not do this, you will not be able to get a permit in the next year.

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Why do permits matter?

Permits are not required just to make things difficult for people working with Devil’s Claw. They are there to protect Devil’s Claw for the future.

A Devil’s Claw ‘Harvest’ permit states: Who may harvest (one person or a group); Where they may harvest; When they can harvest (1st March to 31st October); How they should harvest.

The ’Report Back’ form must be submitted before the end of November.

A Devil’s Claw ‘Buy and Sell’ permit for traders states: Who may buy and sell; Where they may buy; When they may buy (1st March to 31st October).

The ’Report Back’ form must be submitted before the end of November.

A Devil’s Claw ‘Export’ permit states: Who is selling; Who is buying (name and country); How much is being exported.

The ’Report Back’ form must be submitted within 14 days of the permit expiring.

All of this information helps MET to check whether people working with Devil’s Claw are doing it in the right way.How to harvest Devil’s Claw

Devil’s Claw may only be harvested between 1st March and 31st October each year. Devil’s Claw is a protected plant so all harvesters need to get a permit from the MET before starting to harvest. Individuals or groups can apply for a permit.

Harvesters must have permission to harvest from either the private landowner or from the traditional authority, the regional or local government, or the conservancy or community forest in the case of communal area harvesting.

Harvesters should choose the older plants to harvest. These usually have longer stems and leaves. The young plants should be left alone. A plant that still has flowers should not be harvested. It is best to wait until the plant has seeds.

It is best if the harvester uses a sharpened stick or flattened crowbar to dig with. The hole should be about 20cm away from the plant and should only be on one side of the plant.

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This means that only the tubers on one side of the plant are harvested; the other half of the tubers are left to help the plant to keep growing.

When the side tubers have been harvested, all the sand should be put back into the hole. The harvester should stamp down on the sand after it has been put back in the hole. If the hole is not filled in, the Devil’s Claw plant will die. Leaving an open hole is dangerous for wild animals, cattle and even for people.

Note:

Harvesting the taproot is also wrong. By harvesting it, the plant will be killed. Also, the taproot is useless for selling. It is possible to dig out the tubers without damaging or removing the taproot.

Devil’s Claw plants need three years to recover after they have been harvested. This means that in any

one year, only one quarter of all the plants in an area should be harvested.

How to process Devil’s Claw Devil’s Claw is sold on the international markets and

it is therefore important to maintain high quality standards. If the Devil’s Claw is not harvested or processed (cut and dried) properly, it will be rejected. This means that the resource is wasted and the harvester does not get any money.

Dried Devil’s Claw should be packed into new bags that are clean and dry. Bags should be stored in a clean, dry place and if possible on a shelf or rack.

Devil’s Claw should only be sold to a trader who has a permit for buying Devil’s Claw from the area in which it was harvested. The trader should fill in his/her name, registration number, the date, the number of bags, the weight of the Devil’s Claw bought, the trader’s permit number and signature on the harvester’s ‘Report Back’ form.

Note:

Within a month of the end of the harvest season, the harvester’s ‘Report Back’ should be submitted to the MET. Details of each transaction need to be given by the trader in question, and signed by him/her.

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How to trade in Devil’s ClawYou can only apply for a ‘Buy and Sell’ permit if you have passed the registration test and are registered with the MET.

Fill in an application form and hand it in to your nearest MET office. You must fill in all the information on the form including where you want to buy from. You will need a copy of your ID card and Registration Certificate, and money to pay for your permit.

Your application will be sent to the Windhoek Permit Office. If you had a ‘Buy and Sell’ permit last year, they will check that you submitted your ‘Report Back’ form before the end of November last year.

If your application is approved, your permit will either be mailed to you or sent to the regional office for you to collect it. You are not allowed to start buying or selling Devil’s Claw before you have received your permit. You must carry your permit with you whenever you are working with Devil’s Claw.

You are allowed to buy and sell Devil’s Claw from 1st March until 31st October.

With your permit you will get a ‘Report Back’ form. Each time you buy or sell Devil’s Claw you need to record all the information on this form. When you buy from a harvester, you must write the information on the harvester’s ‘Report Back’ form as well and sign it.

You are not allowed to buy or sell Devil’s Claw after the end of October. During November, you must hand your ‘Report Back’ form back to the MET.

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DecemberJanuary and FebruaryMarch to OctoberNovember

How to export Devil’s Claw

You can only apply for an export permit if you have passed the registration test and are registered with MET.

As an exporter, you will need to buy Devil’s Claw from harvesters or traders. To do this, you will need to have a ‘Buy and Sell’ permit.

You should only apply for an ‘Export’ permit when you know who you are going to be exporting to. Fill in an application form and hand it in to your nearest MET office. You will need a copy of your ID and Registration Certificate, and money to pay for your permit.

You will need to do this for each consignment that you export. You must fill in all the information on the form (including who you are exporting to). You should make a copy of your ‘Buy and Sell’ permit ‘Report Back’ form and send it in with your application.

When you are issued with an ‘Export’ permit, it will be valid for 6 months. You need to hand in your ‘Report Back’ form for a particular consignment to MET within 14 days of the permit expiring.

You will also need to apply to Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry for a Phytosanitary Certificate.

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Registration Certificate'Buy and Sell' permit1.Apply for 'Export' permit #12. Use 'Export' permit #13.Submit 'Export' permit #1 'Report' Back form1.Apply for 'Export' permit #22 Use 'Export ' permit #23.Submit 'Export' permit #2 'Report Back' form1. Apply for 'Export' permit #32. Use 'Export' permit #33.Submit' Export' permit #3 'Report Back' form

Other types of Devil’s Claw permits

There are a few other types of Devil’s Claw permits that you need to know about. You do not need to be registered with MET to apply for these permits.

Cultivation permitAnyone wanting to grow Devil’s Claw plants (so that they can be harvested) needs to apply for a ‘Cultivation’ permit.

Research permitAnyone wanting to find out more about Devil’s Claw plants, i.e., where they grow, how they grow, how they are used, needs to apply for a ‘Research’ permit.

Transport permitIf you are transporting bags of Devil’s Claw from one place to another, then you are a transporter. - If you already have a ‘Buy and Sell’ permit or an

‘Export’ permit, then you do not have to apply for a ‘Transport’ permit. You must keep your ‘Buy and Sell’ permit or ‘Export’ permit with you in your vehicle.

- If you do not already have a Devil’s Claw permit and are just involved in transport, then you need to apply for a ‘Transport’ permit.

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