Agri gets Covid-19 protective gear

ELLANIE SMITWINDHOEKThe agriculture ministry has received a donation of Covid-19 protective equipment valued at N$752 416, which will be used by frontline staff working on agricultural projects.This equipment was financed by Germany via the Farming for Resilience (F4R) joint project implemented by GIZ on behalf of the German government.Agriculture executive director Percy Misika said the agriculture sector remains central to the lives of the majority of the Namibian population.Misika added that the ministry is mandated to promote, develop, manage and utilise agricultural, water and land resources sustainably.To achieve this, the ministry relies on a decentralised office structure with offices and staff members in all regions.“The sector is faced with many challenges including changing climatic patterns, low and erratic rainfall, poor soil fertility and lack of well-adapted agricultural technologies.”Misika said new crop pests that are not endemic to the region, such as fall armyworm, African red locusts and recurring foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) further curb agricultural production and severely impair the development of the sector.He said this situation is exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.According to him Covid-19 has impacted all sectors of the country and agriculture is no exception.“Direct effects on the sector are delayed and prolonged delivery on agriculture inputs and services, loss of employment and closure of business, which resulted in reduced purchasing power and increased numbers of people which are vulnerable to food insecurity and poverty.”Misika said ministry staff who interact with farmers and local communities are frequently exposed to the Covid-19 virus and the donation of protective equipment will go a long way in keeping them safe.Other challengesDr Gabriele Geier, head of cooperation at the German embassy in Namibia, said the main objective of the F4R project is not to donate protective equipment, but to support the ministry to strengthen the agri-food sector and to improve the livelihoods of communal small-holder farmers.“The challenges and vulnerabilities are manifold and interlinked, Covid-19 just being one of them; it comes on top of the other challenges. Climate change and adaptation through climate-sensitive cultivation methods and diversification is another big challenge.”Namibia is still highly dependent on food imports, especially when it comes to vegetables and fruit.He said increasing local production for own consumption and markets and diversification of production could contribute significantly to increasing resilience to external and climate-related shocks. In addition, it could increase employment, incomes of local farmers and nutrition security. “We are observing a new discourse on the importance of food and nutrition security and on the accessibility to and affordability of not merely food, but healthy food.”Greier noted that nearly 800 000 people in Namibia are food insecure to some extent.all stakeholders who want to make a difference.

Agri gets Covid-19 protective gear

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

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Agri gets Covid-19 protective gear

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Namibian Sun 2025-11-05

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