President urges nation to boost agriculture
Farmers urged to safeguard infrastructure
Namibia must feed itself, the president says, as she concludes her tour of green schemes.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has warned that a nation that cannot feed itself will never be respected, adding that modern and resilient agriculture can help Namibia tackle food insecurity and high unemployment.
The president made the remarks on Monday while speaking to farmers at the Etunda Irrigation Scheme in the Omusati region, where she concluded her nationwide tour of the country’s green schemes.
Reaffirming agriculture as Namibia’s foremost development priority, she referred to the words of late president Sam Nujoma.
“Our founding president said a nation which cannot feed itself will never be respected. And I do not want to lead a nation that is not respected. I must walk with my head up because I am leading a nation which is respected,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She stressed that agriculture, if properly implemented, provides a far more reliable foundation than sectors such as mining, which are fragile and subject to external factors.
“Agriculture is the key. And the government is committed to work with you. We are just asking each one of us to play our part. It does not mean we are not paying to other sectors; we are doing that. But this is a cow which you can milk easily in comparison to others,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
The president also used the platform and called on traditional leaders in the Omusati region to safeguard government infrastructure from vandalism, particularly at the Etunda scheme.
“The infrastructure is meant to benefit us. Vandalising them will delay services, cost jobs, and harm livelihoods,” the president warned.
Challenges on the ground
Scheme manager Sackey Shilyomunhu said the Etunda Irrigation Scheme has 31 plots available for leasing.
Of these, 28 were advertised in April, while three remain vacant. The scheme’s small-scale farmers unit consists of 97 plots of three hectares each, of which 67 are currently active. Sixteen farmers operate two plots each, supported by government input subsidies over the past three seasons.
The medium-scale Farmers Unit, with 12 plots of 12 hectares each, is largely inactive, he said.
Only three businesses are operational, while nine plots are still awaiting advertisement.
Shilyomunhu said the scheme’s expansion faces several hurdles, including high utility costs of around N$700 000 per month, uncompetitive production due to expensive inputs, and insufficient machinery causing delays in planting and harvesting.
Self-sufficient farmers
Despite these challenges, the scheme remains a key pillar in government’s drive to boost agricultural output and reduce food imports.
Omusati governor Immanuel Shikongo said the farmers at Etunda have committed themselves to ensuring that they “eat what they produce and produce what they eat”.
“Their commitment to cultivating land and feeding the nation is the backbone of community as we continue to promote horticultural production units and advocate for youth ownership of farms,” Shikongo said.
The president made the remarks on Monday while speaking to farmers at the Etunda Irrigation Scheme in the Omusati region, where she concluded her nationwide tour of the country’s green schemes.
Reaffirming agriculture as Namibia’s foremost development priority, she referred to the words of late president Sam Nujoma.
“Our founding president said a nation which cannot feed itself will never be respected. And I do not want to lead a nation that is not respected. I must walk with my head up because I am leading a nation which is respected,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
She stressed that agriculture, if properly implemented, provides a far more reliable foundation than sectors such as mining, which are fragile and subject to external factors.
“Agriculture is the key. And the government is committed to work with you. We are just asking each one of us to play our part. It does not mean we are not paying to other sectors; we are doing that. But this is a cow which you can milk easily in comparison to others,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said.
The president also used the platform and called on traditional leaders in the Omusati region to safeguard government infrastructure from vandalism, particularly at the Etunda scheme.
“The infrastructure is meant to benefit us. Vandalising them will delay services, cost jobs, and harm livelihoods,” the president warned.
Challenges on the ground
Scheme manager Sackey Shilyomunhu said the Etunda Irrigation Scheme has 31 plots available for leasing.
Of these, 28 were advertised in April, while three remain vacant. The scheme’s small-scale farmers unit consists of 97 plots of three hectares each, of which 67 are currently active. Sixteen farmers operate two plots each, supported by government input subsidies over the past three seasons.
The medium-scale Farmers Unit, with 12 plots of 12 hectares each, is largely inactive, he said.
Only three businesses are operational, while nine plots are still awaiting advertisement.
Shilyomunhu said the scheme’s expansion faces several hurdles, including high utility costs of around N$700 000 per month, uncompetitive production due to expensive inputs, and insufficient machinery causing delays in planting and harvesting.
Self-sufficient farmers
Despite these challenges, the scheme remains a key pillar in government’s drive to boost agricultural output and reduce food imports.
Omusati governor Immanuel Shikongo said the farmers at Etunda have committed themselves to ensuring that they “eat what they produce and produce what they eat”.
“Their commitment to cultivating land and feeding the nation is the backbone of community as we continue to promote horticultural production units and advocate for youth ownership of farms,” Shikongo said.
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