The process of repurposing the Green Schemes by offering their operation and productive utilisation to the private sector operators through a competitive process is expected to promote the production of gains and cereals, potatoes as basic staple food to reach food self-sufficiency, while allowing investors to diversify production into high-value horticulture, crops and fruits.
This was said by agriculture minister, Calle Schlettwein who further noted that urban agriculture is yet another dimension which is pursued to strengthen food and nutrition security in the urban areas and achieve greater inclusivity through income generation opportunities for the youth and women.
“Such diversification and intensification extend well beyond the government-owned green schemes to include commercial and communal farming practice as in the country. An important aspect which has to be strengthened is our capacity to address phytosanitary requirements, domestic private sector and agri-entrepreneurs are called upon to take advantage of these opportunities,” Schlettwein said at the Agricultural Outlook Conference last week.
Schlettwein went on to highlight that the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and the pass-through effects from the Ukraine-Russia conflict bring forth the needed policy responsiveness for the new normal.
He added that this new normal predisposes a shift in the policy priority away from relying on trade for food security, towards food self-sufficiency.
“This policy priority requires much improved productive capacity in agriculture across all the value chains. In order to make real, stepwise progress towards food self-sufficiency, and given the imperative for food security, the strategic policy emphasis is now directed at intensive agriculture on the back of agricultural mechanisation and modernisation.
“This delivery mode is for the purpose of de-risking the sector from the historical over-dependence on rain-fed activity and exposure to external trade shocks. Increased domestic productive capacity for basic foodstuff, crop diversification and production inputs are key critical success factors to boost national food security and resilience,” explained the Minister.
Schlettwein also took time to speak about policy and institutional reforms in the agricultural sector noting that for the agriculture sector to deliver on objectives, a set of policy and institutional reforms have come necessary.
In the water sector, the Water Resources Management Act (Act No. 11 of 2013), is being reviewed and a set of Draft Regulations are being considered to operationalise the Act: the Meat Industry Amendment Act is due for consideration by the Cabinet Committee on Legislation, after principle clearance by Cabinet. This would strengthen the implementation of the poultry market share scheme and support the revival of the dairy industry.
“Legal drafting for the Land Bill is finalised, following an intensive consultation process to incorporate the key considerations from the Second Land Conference. This enables the submission of the Bill to the policy clearance and legislative process going forward. At the same time, the criteria for land resettlement are reviewed and the stakeholder consultation process is now the next step. Productive utilisation of the resettlement farms will be embedded as as a necessary condition for the land resettlement program,” he said.
He went on to say that the Ministry, in collaboration with the stakeholders, is spearheading the review of the 1997 Drought Policy, with the objective of strengthening the country’s preparedness, adaptation and resilience architecture. At the same time, formulation of the National Agricultural Investment Plan has advanced to serve as a sector strategy for investment in the sector, implementing the sector development objectives enshrined in the National Agricultural Policy.
Furthermore, Schlettwein said that underperformance of key institutions in the sector needs to be urgently addressed in order to realise value and serve farmers better.
“This is in specific reference to MEATCO business sustainability and its market outreach to all the farmers, particularly in the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs) and AMTA’s role to better support increasing market access for agronomic and horticulture products, particularly for small holders.
“Last week, a proposition for an agricultural chamber is put forth, borne out of the 2020 Agriculture Conference at which all stakeholders gathered here unanimously passed a resolution to form a representative Chamber of Agriculture. Regrettably, the Chamber architecture put forth has come without all the necessary inclusivity. This apparent polarisation must be addressed by the leadership of all farmers unions to bring forth a unified voice of the sector. We can only be more inclusive if unity in diversity is the common ground for our actions going forward.”
Lastly, the Minister said that the land reform remains at the centre of correcting a hitherto skew landownership that was used by unjust colonial land dispossession of black Namibians by the colonial regimes.
“A land reform aiming at eroding the existing skewness in land ownership compelled with a resettlement policy that ensures productivity on resettlement farms is an absolute necessity. We believe that a performance management evaluation needs to be introduced into resettlement so that it is ensured that those who benefit from it are indeed utilising the productive capacities of the land optimally,” he said.