Agri sector is youth lifesaver
Boosting the agriculture sector will serve the dual purpose of creating rural jobs and increasing food security, the president has said.
Agriculture has been identified as one of the sectors with high job-creation potential for young people.
President Hage Geingob said in his State of the Nation Address that the agricultural sector will enjoy increased attention as Namibia rebalances its growth model.
According to him Namibia has secured funding to implement the extensive Agricultural Mechanisation and Seed Improvement Programme.
This programme will be rolled out over a five-year period, from the second quarter of 2018.
Geingob said successful implementation would halve the percentage of food-insecure people in Namibia, from an estimated 25% in 2017, to 12% by 2025.
It would further lead to a reduction in annual grain imports from 60% of total consumption in 2017, to 20% by 2025. “This initiative is expected to translate into thousands of job opportunities for rural youth,” said Geingob.
He urged them to grab opportunities in the agricultural sector saying there is overall, a general hesitance from Namibian young people to become involved in farming.
Furthermore, a four-hectare plot has been set aside for the construction of a beef cold-storage facility within the Ha!Nara Namib Industrial Park at Walvis Bay. The industrial park is to be completed this year.
“The establishment of this facility is a vital cog in Namibia's quest to develop our meat export capacity, as it will enable Namibia to export beef via Walvis Bay instead of through neighbouring ports,” the president said.
According to Geingob a number of transformational initiatives that would boost the agricultural sector have also been introduced.
These include a collateral-free loan to enable communal farmers to access financing against payroll deductions. To date 202 loans with a value of N$25.3 million have been approved within eight months of its launch. Geingob said food poverty declined to 5.8% from 9% during the same period.
“We are confident that timely interventions by government, including the Windhoek managed aquifer recharge, will guarantee that taps in the central area of Namibia will not run dry until the end of the Harambee period.”
He said long-term plans had been approved to ensure water supply through increased desalination capacity, the completion of the Neckartal Dam by the middle of this year and the development of national water carriers.
ELLANIE SMIT
President Hage Geingob said in his State of the Nation Address that the agricultural sector will enjoy increased attention as Namibia rebalances its growth model.
According to him Namibia has secured funding to implement the extensive Agricultural Mechanisation and Seed Improvement Programme.
This programme will be rolled out over a five-year period, from the second quarter of 2018.
Geingob said successful implementation would halve the percentage of food-insecure people in Namibia, from an estimated 25% in 2017, to 12% by 2025.
It would further lead to a reduction in annual grain imports from 60% of total consumption in 2017, to 20% by 2025. “This initiative is expected to translate into thousands of job opportunities for rural youth,” said Geingob.
He urged them to grab opportunities in the agricultural sector saying there is overall, a general hesitance from Namibian young people to become involved in farming.
Furthermore, a four-hectare plot has been set aside for the construction of a beef cold-storage facility within the Ha!Nara Namib Industrial Park at Walvis Bay. The industrial park is to be completed this year.
“The establishment of this facility is a vital cog in Namibia's quest to develop our meat export capacity, as it will enable Namibia to export beef via Walvis Bay instead of through neighbouring ports,” the president said.
According to Geingob a number of transformational initiatives that would boost the agricultural sector have also been introduced.
These include a collateral-free loan to enable communal farmers to access financing against payroll deductions. To date 202 loans with a value of N$25.3 million have been approved within eight months of its launch. Geingob said food poverty declined to 5.8% from 9% during the same period.
“We are confident that timely interventions by government, including the Windhoek managed aquifer recharge, will guarantee that taps in the central area of Namibia will not run dry until the end of the Harambee period.”
He said long-term plans had been approved to ensure water supply through increased desalination capacity, the completion of the Neckartal Dam by the middle of this year and the development of national water carriers.
ELLANIE SMIT
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