Ministry prepares 508 tractors for 2026/27 ploughing season

 The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has begun preparations for Namibia’s 2026/27 rain-fed cropping season, which is scheduled to run from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

The ministry says it is implementing two key measures to improve the delivery of agricultural support services to farmers and communities across the country’s 14 regions. The first involves the servicing and repair of the ministry’s tractor fleet and agricultural implements between 17 and 31 August.

A total of 508 tractors have been identified for servicing and repairs, including 385 requiring minor servicing and 112 needing major repairs. The ministry said the work would be carried out at Agricultural Development Centres across the country, while tractors requiring major repairs would, where necessary, be taken to the Agricultural Technology Centres in Ongwediva and Rundu.

The intervention is expected to cost about N$8 million, covering spare parts, fuel, transport and other logistical requirements.

The programme will also provide work experience for young artisans. Fifteen graduate artisans will be employed on one-year fixed-term contracts at the Agricultural Technology Centres, while 45 trainees from vocational training centres will participate as assistant artisans.

The second intervention aims to improve farmers’ access to agricultural machinery and equipment through subsidised sales.

Equipment includes hand-operated seedling transplanters, jab seed drills, walking tractors and implements, weeding cultivators, knapsack sprayers, diesel chipper hammer mills, veterinary cold-chain and drug kits, and animal weighing scales.

The ministry will publish an advertisement from today detailing the available equipment, application procedures and eligibility requirements. Farmers will be limited to purchasing machinery and equipment available in their respective regions.

The ministry said the measures are intended to improve the operational readiness of its tractor fleet, support young artisans and expand farmers’ access to appropriate equipment ahead of the upcoming cropping season.

It said the interventions would ultimately contribute to increased agricultural productivity and improved food and nutrition security.