Emerging farmer sets his sights on potato farming

Growing up, Jesaya Shipingana always had a soft spot for farming and had the desire to pursue agriculture projects that would contribute to Namibia’s food security quest.

Fast forward and Shipingana became a household name in Windhoek’s Samora Machel constituency, where he assisted his neighbours to set up backyard vegetable gardens.

With the high demand for potatoes in the local market, Shipingana saw an opportunity; however, the lack of land hindered his plans to venture into potato farming.

He then relocated to northern Namibia, where he now manages a potato project along the Oshakati-Omungwelume road.

“I have realised that there is a huge demand for potatoes, but the local supply is lacking, which subsequently leads to high import volumes to meet the local demand," he said.

"Government must also provide training to those interested in producing potatoes in order to widen the production base so that we meet the local demand and export the surplus."

Big demand

The Namibia Statistics Agency last year announced that Namibia imported potatoes worth N$21 million in October 2023, mainly from neighbouring South Africa.

Official statistics released by the agency towards the end of last year also indicate that between October 2022 and October 2023, the average monthly potato imports stood at N$17 million.

The demand for potatoes locally is so high that it is one of the crops on the special list that is always open for importation without restrictions.

Retailers and importing agents spent N$120 million between 2019 and 2020 on importing washed potatoes to meet the local demand.

Technical support

Shipingana, who also offers compost training to emerging farmers who are struggling to take care of their plants, says the infrastructure gap in the agriculture sector is discouraging potential farmers from joining the industry.

“Land and infrastructure are key components of farming. It is therefore important to ensure that these are readily available to those who have the capacity,” he said.

He also called on farmers to work on collaborative farming schemes because “working individually will not take us anywhere.”

“We must work together in the entire value chain because there is enough room for all of us if we work together. Farming is not an easy job; it requires dedication and hard work, but if we work together, surely we can fight unemployment and at the same time ensure that food security in Namibia becomes a reality,” he said.

‘Do our part’

According to Shipingana: “We have become too dependable as a nation, but it is our responsibility as citizens to meet government halfway. If government creates a conducive environment and opens markets for producers, we must do our part as well,” Shipingana said.

He added: “The blame game is not doing us any justice – we must all do our part.”

He also lamented public infrastructure that is under-utilised at government-owned facilities, such as green schemes.

Shipingana underlined that there is a need for the education system to produce graduates that are well-equipped for the market.

“We need to produce agriculture students who are ready to transform the sector and supplement government’s efforts,” he said.