The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) says it will construct small-scale agro-processing facilities across all 14 regions in the country.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of MAWLR at the launch of the Strategy for the Transformation of the Agri-Food Sector (STAS) the Director of General National Planning, Obeth Kandjoze said each facility will be equipped with agro-processing machinery and made available at affordable rental rates.
“As part of the agri-food sector strategy to transform and integrate the small-scale farmers, cooperatives, women and youth groups into the mainstream of the agri-food sector business, MAWLR will construct small-scale agro-processing facilities in all 14 regions over the next strategic period,” he said.
He further explained that the STAS initiative aligns with the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
The programme calls on member states to enhance agricultural investments, end hunger by 2025, and halve poverty by promoting inclusive growth.
Namibia’s STAS plan draws from the CAADP’s principles, which prioritise transparency, inclusiveness and evidence-based planning.
“Therefore, even though Namibia has been noted for its consistent participation in the CAADP Biennial Reviews (BR) since 2017, tracking its progress on the Malabo Declaration, the country has mostly missed its targets, reaching the benchmark only in 2017 with a score of 4.11, surpassing the required 3.94. Major obstacles for Namibia have involved inadequate agricultural investment, challenges in addressing hunger, and limited resilience to climate change and related risks,” Kandjoze remarked.
He added that despite setbacks, Namibia showed positive progress in areas such as enhancing resilience to climate change and social safety net.
“This means that while there were broader challenges and gaps in other aspects, Namibia made notable strides in improving its ability to cope with and adapt to climate-related impacts and improving lives of vulnerable families and individuals experiencing poverty and destitution,” he said.
