By:Gabriel Kandjengo kaMkwaanyoka
For the third quarter of 2022, the livestock and crop sub-sector, which made up the agricultural sector, managed only to contribute 3.4% and 0.4% to the country’s three months output.
Mind you, the quarterly GDP was valued at N$35,5 billion. So now take your calculator and calculate the contribution of the agricultural sector.
The fact that agri-output is less, especially for smallholder farmers and subsistence producers, means that many householders are forced to depend on shops for food.
However, with the level of inflation that has been experienced, it implies that many are not or will not afford basic food, thus worsening food insecurity and hunger, which is against various SDGs.
By the end of the third quarter last year, food inflation continued to increase at a faster pace than other items in the CPI basket, food inflation increased by 8.9% compared to 5.7% recorded in the corresponding period of 2021.
The proportion of food products with inflation rates over 10% keeps rising from 41.3% in October 2022 to 42.4% in November 2022.
However, as a country, we are fighting inflation by increasing the cost of money but when it comes to food inflation it has to be fought with increased production in the agricultural sector.
As much as we are a net importer of food, I highly think, as a country, we can fight food inflation in the short to medium term by increasing per hectare or plant yield of every farmer.
Consequently, this increases the supply of food commodities at the household level and for commercial production, especially in the less structured market where most people buy their fresh produce and grain.
At the same time, it increases our agri exports and brings in foreign currency that we desperately need to complement mineral and fish export revenue.
For the third quarter of 2022, agriculture commodities brought income of N$606.0 million through export.
Beyond exports, in terms of cereal grains, the country can also somehow stabilise the grains prices by tapping into its reserves/National Strategic Food Reserves.
The USA influences global crude or fuel prices by tapping into their crude reserves- we can employ the same domestically for the prices of grains (maize, mahangu, and wheat).
However, it is a pity our grain reserves are to an extent empty.
Stock levels for white maize during the third quarter of last year (latest data) were 31.7 percent of total capacity, lower when compared to Q3 of 2021.
Contrary to that, the pearl millet stock level was at 15.7%.

ARE WE MAKING A MOCKERY OF AGRICULTURE?
Almost every relevant ministry in our parliament had visited Omusati, Kavango Region, and every other agri-potential place that we have or a potential agricultural place in this country.
While in 2022 various National Assembly and National Council Committees travelled around the country doing assessments.
The ministry of finance which handles the allocation of funds and controls the government purse was also in Kavango and Omusati Region.
Calle Schlettwein has taken a familiarisation tour of every corner of this country that is participating in the agri-sector.
That means every high-level policymaker in this country knows what the country has in the agricultural sector and its potential.
I accept, we have made a lot of blunders within the agricultural sector, starting with the resettlement programme of productive farms. Yes, land redistribution involves emotions and making things right but we could have done better.
Interventions such as training, capacity building for all the beneficiaries, empowering them, putting proper infrastructures in the farms, and more importantly accountability.
Ensuring that beneficiaries utilise the land by consistently monitoring and guiding them on their agricultural venture (crop, livestock, game, charcoal whatever).
We did not do that adequately. We offer one training and dump them.
It’s hard to hold individuals accountable when you give them half-made or dilapidated infrastructures.
Is it some inferior mindset or what is happening with us? We have able Namibians that can work the land. They just need guidance and consistent capacity building.
Along the Omusati canal, there are probably more than 200 smallholder farmers producing at a small scale due to a lack of better infrastructure and know-how.
Let us capacitate them and give them one green scheme so they work- provided, the seeds, fertiliser, and necessary equipment are ordered on time and delivered to avoid the Agribusdev fiasco.
I think we want the easy way out, we do not want to be accountable so now we want people from the middle east and others to come to produce food for us, which is a shame.
The economic potential of the agricultural sector can only be realised if we stop with long speeches, conferences, inferiority mindset and start innovating, investing, and non-stop mentoring and capacity building. Email: gerastus16@gmail.com