Namibia’s agronomic sector is calling for an urgent shift from rain-fed to irrigated agriculture as recurring droughts and climate variability continue to cripple crop production across the country.
According to Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) CEO, Fidelis Mwazi, the country’s reliance on seasonal rainfall is no longer sustainable, and the agricultural sector must adapt to ensure food security.
“The days of relying solely on rainfall agriculture are behind us. The shift to irrigated agriculture is no longer an option. It is essential, and it has to be done,One can already see the impact of rainfall variability on production volumes,” Mwazi said.
Namibia’s crop output has dropped sharply in recent years, exposing the vulnerabilities of a rain-dependent system.
“Last year, in terms of mass production, for example, we only managed around 33,000 metric tonnes. In the past, during good rainfall years, we normally did around 98,000, close to 100,000 metric tonnes,” he said.
He said to address the issue, the NAB is working with financial institutions to develop accessible funding models for the crop value chain, aimed at reducing the cost barriers to irrigation systems and modern farming inputs.
“That’s why we are working tirelessly to engage different financial institutions to come up with crop value chain financial packages that might be easily accessible by our farmers and other stakeholders in the industry,” Mwazi added.
He also stressed that financial support alone is not enough.
“We need structured programmes – technical support, access to equipment and trained consultants – to make this transition work,” he said, warning that failure to act could worsen food insecurity in the years ahead.
“We need public-private partnerships that support strategic agricultural transformation. Sustainable collaboration is critical to achieving food self-sufficiency and building resilience to climate shocks,” he said.
He said as part of a broader solution, the NAB is spearheading the development of a national crop value chain strategy, aimed at building a resilient and competitive crop sector through environmentally responsible practices, targeted research, supportive policy, and improved market access.
Mwazi said the foundation of this strategy is collaboration among public, private, and civil society stakeholders, with a strong focus on empowering farmers to meet yield targets and supply both local and international markets.
He said reducing Namibia’s reliance on food imports remains a key objective, which according to him, the NAB’s Market Share Promotion Scheme has already helped increase local production from just 5% in the early 2000s to nearly 47% today.
However, he acknowledged that challenges remain.
“Market access is still a constraint for some crops. We need to intervene in the value chain – in processing, storage, logistics – to ensure locally grown products can reach viable markets,” he said.
Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani, echoed the call for a shift in approach and urged stakeholders to explore new support mechanisms for farming recovery and restocking.
“Most of the developed economies are built on the foundation of agriculture, and there is no reason why Namibia cannot do the same. We have huge land, a small population, and we must ensure we optimise the land available to us,” she said.
