NNFU president calls for urgent action to strengthen agricultural future
Collaboration driving agriculture forward
Jacques du Toit
Namibia’s agricultural sector must be treated as a “strategic pillar of national development, not as a social welfare sector,” said Adolf Muremi, president of the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU), during his address at the 2025 Agri Outlook Conference.
Speaking before President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister of Agriculture Inge Zaamwani, and representatives from across the industry, Muremi praised government efforts but warned that “implementation gaps require urgent review.” His speech struck a balance between gratitude and frustration, calling for greater collaboration and long-term planning to build resilience in Namibia’s farming communities.
Muremi thanked the president for attending on short notice, calling her presence “a sign of hope and courage for us to proceed and prosper in agriculture.” He said such engagement from the highest office inspires farmers and strengthens their resolve to grow the sector.
He also acknowledged the Ministry of Agriculture’s leadership, saying Zaamwani “remains critical for shaping the policies, the regulation and intervention that sustain a vital sector.”
However, Muremi cautioned that good policy must be matched with action. “We have the Maputo Declaration, and we also have the Malabo Declaration. But all these declarations, if you look into their implementation, you can see that it was not implemented fully. Maybe only half of it was implemented,” he said.
He urged the government to move beyond promises and ensure that approved programmes, such as the Northern Communal Areas Equalisation Fund, are executed without delay. “Approved by the Cabinet and implementation supposed to start this year, 2025... but we no longer hear any progress. Is this halted?” he asked.
Drought relief and
bureaucracy
Muremi also raised concern about the delivery of drought relief, saying that while government efforts are appreciated, farmers often face unnecessary obstacles. “Yes, we get assistance from the government, and yes, we are also challenged, especially with all this protocol that is in place,” he said.
He described the system as overly bureaucratic: “People have to apply and do the work. But to date, you will still hear some of the farmers telling you, I have done this, but to date, I could not be assisted yet.”
Muremi proposed that farmers and officials engage in regular dialogue, not only during crises, to prepare better for future droughts. “If we can start preparing properly, I think we will be assisting farmers who are affected by drought – whether it is crop, livestock or also the issue of human-wildlife conflicts.”
Infrastructure and access challenges
Muremi listed several structural issues holding back the sector, including poor rural infrastructure, weak market access and the effects of bush encroachment. “We cannot achieve this while farmers struggle with bush encroachment that reduces our grazing capacity, groundwater and biodiversity,” he said.
He added that “roads are a challenge, telecommunication is a challenge.” Even in regions with modern abattoirs, “to get the product from the farms to the abattoirs, for example, is becoming a challenge.” He also pointed to insufficient investment in agricultural research, innovation and mechanisation, warning that “if this is not paid attention to, these farmers will be struggling. And then agriculture will not prosper as we are expecting it.”
Aligning priorities
Muremi stressed that every dollar invested in agriculture “multiplies across our national economy,” calling for increased public spending and policy alignment with continental frameworks such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
He cited the Kampala Declaration, which calls for a minimum of 10% public investment in agriculture, noting that Namibia has yet to meet that commitment. “We urge government to prioritise greater investment in agriculture in the national budget,” he said.
Farmers’ unions, Muremi added, also have a role to play by promoting sustainable practices and empowering youth and women. “Our goal is not just survival, but growth,” he said. “Agriculture contributes to the GDP and must increase. But this requires a fundamental shift in focus toward production efficiency.”
Meaningful engagement
In a pointed appeal to the president, Muremi said farmers often struggle to gain access to senior government officials. “We have reached out to the offices since March or April. To date, I don’t think that we have managed to enter even one door,” he said.
He urged the president to ensure that officials engage with farmers’ unions in the spirit of partnership. “We are not there to criticise; we are there to build. Let them accord us the opportunity so that we can engage for the benefit of Namibia and the nation at large.”
Muremi said the Agri Outlook Conference, themed “Harvesting the Future,” was designed as a collaborative platform by the four major farmers’ unions to “create a platform for forward-looking dialogue, innovation, sharing and capacity building for farmers.”
He closed his speech with a call for shared purpose and decisive action. “The time for waiting has passed. The time for transformation is now,” Muremi said.
Thanking President Nandi-Ndaitwah once more for her accessibility and leadership, he added, “That type of leadership is what we want to see. Let’s have a future together for our farmers, our economy and our nation.”
Namibia’s agricultural sector must be treated as a “strategic pillar of national development, not as a social welfare sector,” said Adolf Muremi, president of the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU), during his address at the 2025 Agri Outlook Conference.
Speaking before President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister of Agriculture Inge Zaamwani, and representatives from across the industry, Muremi praised government efforts but warned that “implementation gaps require urgent review.” His speech struck a balance between gratitude and frustration, calling for greater collaboration and long-term planning to build resilience in Namibia’s farming communities.
Muremi thanked the president for attending on short notice, calling her presence “a sign of hope and courage for us to proceed and prosper in agriculture.” He said such engagement from the highest office inspires farmers and strengthens their resolve to grow the sector.
He also acknowledged the Ministry of Agriculture’s leadership, saying Zaamwani “remains critical for shaping the policies, the regulation and intervention that sustain a vital sector.”
However, Muremi cautioned that good policy must be matched with action. “We have the Maputo Declaration, and we also have the Malabo Declaration. But all these declarations, if you look into their implementation, you can see that it was not implemented fully. Maybe only half of it was implemented,” he said.
He urged the government to move beyond promises and ensure that approved programmes, such as the Northern Communal Areas Equalisation Fund, are executed without delay. “Approved by the Cabinet and implementation supposed to start this year, 2025... but we no longer hear any progress. Is this halted?” he asked.
Drought relief and
bureaucracy
Muremi also raised concern about the delivery of drought relief, saying that while government efforts are appreciated, farmers often face unnecessary obstacles. “Yes, we get assistance from the government, and yes, we are also challenged, especially with all this protocol that is in place,” he said.
He described the system as overly bureaucratic: “People have to apply and do the work. But to date, you will still hear some of the farmers telling you, I have done this, but to date, I could not be assisted yet.”
Muremi proposed that farmers and officials engage in regular dialogue, not only during crises, to prepare better for future droughts. “If we can start preparing properly, I think we will be assisting farmers who are affected by drought – whether it is crop, livestock or also the issue of human-wildlife conflicts.”
Infrastructure and access challenges
Muremi listed several structural issues holding back the sector, including poor rural infrastructure, weak market access and the effects of bush encroachment. “We cannot achieve this while farmers struggle with bush encroachment that reduces our grazing capacity, groundwater and biodiversity,” he said.
He added that “roads are a challenge, telecommunication is a challenge.” Even in regions with modern abattoirs, “to get the product from the farms to the abattoirs, for example, is becoming a challenge.” He also pointed to insufficient investment in agricultural research, innovation and mechanisation, warning that “if this is not paid attention to, these farmers will be struggling. And then agriculture will not prosper as we are expecting it.”
Aligning priorities
Muremi stressed that every dollar invested in agriculture “multiplies across our national economy,” calling for increased public spending and policy alignment with continental frameworks such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
He cited the Kampala Declaration, which calls for a minimum of 10% public investment in agriculture, noting that Namibia has yet to meet that commitment. “We urge government to prioritise greater investment in agriculture in the national budget,” he said.
Farmers’ unions, Muremi added, also have a role to play by promoting sustainable practices and empowering youth and women. “Our goal is not just survival, but growth,” he said. “Agriculture contributes to the GDP and must increase. But this requires a fundamental shift in focus toward production efficiency.”
Meaningful engagement
In a pointed appeal to the president, Muremi said farmers often struggle to gain access to senior government officials. “We have reached out to the offices since March or April. To date, I don’t think that we have managed to enter even one door,” he said.
He urged the president to ensure that officials engage with farmers’ unions in the spirit of partnership. “We are not there to criticise; we are there to build. Let them accord us the opportunity so that we can engage for the benefit of Namibia and the nation at large.”
Muremi said the Agri Outlook Conference, themed “Harvesting the Future,” was designed as a collaborative platform by the four major farmers’ unions to “create a platform for forward-looking dialogue, innovation, sharing and capacity building for farmers.”
He closed his speech with a call for shared purpose and decisive action. “The time for waiting has passed. The time for transformation is now,” Muremi said.
Thanking President Nandi-Ndaitwah once more for her accessibility and leadership, he added, “That type of leadership is what we want to see. Let’s have a future together for our farmers, our economy and our nation.”
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