The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform has appointed a new ten-member board for the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB).
The new board members include Hubertus Hamm, who retains the position of Chairperson, and Marina Muller as Vice-Chairperson.
The additional members are Gerhard P. Engelbrecht, Peter Kawana, Salomo Mbai, Jacob Hamutenya, Sonja Molebugi, Maria Pogisho, Ruthy N Masake, and Violet Simataa.
Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, lauded the outgoing board’s efforts in spearheading the establishment of the Agricultural Council and acknowledged their role in observing the return of growth to the agronomic sector.
Addressing the new members, the Minister welcomed them to a sector that provides livelihoods to many Namibians, highlighting the complexity of the agricultural industry and its significant multiplier effects on the economy.
The Minister also acknowledged the Executive Officer of the Agronomic Board, Fidelis Mwazi, for a job well done and expressed the expectation that the new board would receive continued support from him.
“The primary objectives of the board include promoting the agronomic industry and facilitating the production, processing, storage, and marketing of controlled products in Namibia. These products are crops declared by the Minister, with the intention of intervening in specific crop value chains,” said the Minister.
This comes as the declaration of agronomic crops aims to improve production towards self-sufficiency, develop support schemes for producers, maintain national food security, and ensure accessible and affordable food for all.
With wide-ranging powers, the board holds fiduciary responsibilities required to manage a statutory regulator.
“Specifically, it manages declared agronomic products and their respective value chains, considering the Namibian economy’s context. Namibia’s vulnerability regarding food security, its dependence on agriculture for livelihoods, and the need to address income inequality were highlighted by the Minister. The agronomic sector was identified as offering significant economic opportunities for job creation, improved livelihoods, and youth employment,” said Schlettwein.
The Minister further stressed the importance of supporting small-scale horticultural and agronomic producers to enhance their productivity and access to lucrative markets.
While promoting the development and growth of the entire agronomic sector value chains, the board is tasked with ensuring inclusivity and empowerment of previously disadvantaged Namibians, particularly youth and women.
The affordability of food was deemed pivotal, with the Minister emphasizing that “food prices should never breach affordability thresholds to prevent hunger in the country.”
