The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has earmarked N$165.2 million for agricultural development in the 2026/27 financial year, making agriculture the largest recipient of the ministry’s N$352.9 million development budget as government intensifies efforts to boost food production and strengthen the sector.
Presenting the ministry’s Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to the National Council Standing Committees, Acting Executive Director Petrus-Canisius Nangolo said the increased allocation reflects government’s continued focus on expanding agricultural production, supporting farmers and improving food security.
The agriculture development programme will receive N$165.2 million in 2026/27, with allocations increasing to N$260.2 million in 2027/28 and N$303.5 million in 2028/29.
Land Reform and Resettlement has been allocated N$81.3 million, while Land Administration received N$16 million and Policy Coordination and Support Services N$21.3 million for the current financial year.
The ministry’s total development budget is projected at N$300.2 million in 2027/28 before increasing to N$350 million in 2028/29.
Despite the increased allocations, Nangolo said funding remains insufficient to address all the sector’s priorities.
“The ministry appreciates the allocations, although funding remains insufficient to address all sector demands. For land reform and resettlement, no allocation is currently reflected for the next two financial years, while the current financial year has an allocation of approximately N$81.3 million under development funding,” he said.
Alongside development spending, the ministry’s operational budget will rise from N$1.47 billion in 2026/27 to N$1.52 billion by 2028/29.
Nangolo said government will prioritise accelerating public-private partnerships under the Green Scheme Programme, promoting investment in agro-processing and strengthening agricultural value chains to improve domestic food production and reduce reliance on imports.
However, he warned that several challenges continue to constrain agricultural growth, including limited private sector investment, high production costs and recurring animal disease outbreaks.
He said Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP) and other transboundary animal diseases remain major threats to livestock production and export markets.
“Animal diseases, including FMD, CBPP and other transboundary diseases, remain a concern. The ministry plans to strengthen disease surveillance and control systems and develop local vaccine production capacity to reduce delays caused by external procurement. Market access for livestock and animal products from veterinary control zones remains challenging. The ministry intends to strengthen animal disease control and explore new export markets,” Nangolo said.
To improve food security and agricultural resilience, the ministry also plans to expand disease surveillance, strengthen veterinary services, attract greater private sector investment and develop new export markets for livestock and agricultural products.
Nangolo said these interventions are intended to build a more productive and competitive agricultural sector capable of supporting Namibia’s long-term food security and economic growth objectives.
