Spotlighting employment opportunities in the agricultural sector

By Josef Kefas Sheehama

Namibia still desperately needs to improve agricultural production systems and tackle the threats of climate change and uncertainty.

Agriculture remains the backbone for sustained economic growth, to provide quality livelihoods, and high living standards for the population. The Agriculture, Land Reform, and Water Ministry have been allocated N$1.9 billion which is not sufficient. This includes N$50 million dedicated for land purchase to address the plight of generational farm workers as well as N$87 million for the improvement of animal health and marketing in communal areas. The expansion of industry and service sector output has the potential to boost household incomes and create new job opportunities. However, expansion in non-agricultural industries doesn’t always translate into better employment and welfare for all.

Therefore, in the face of finding answers to the employment challenge will require a focus on people living in small and medium cities, and populations that reside in rural towns. Demand coming from these places is what shapes the supply of all goods, including agricultural and food commodities. It is in these areas where a chain of interconnected enterprises brings agriculture and food together, putting farmers, traders, and processors in close interaction with the consumer. Hence, the challenge of creating new jobs and decent employment in the future lies in the components of the agricultural and food value chains that extend beyond primary production. These parts of the system can create jobs by engaging and empowering small businesses and farms to capture more value and integrate them into markets. This required proper funding.

In addition to this fact, the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries contributed 4.1 percent of the total exports for January 2024 figures according to the Namibia Statistics Agency. Agriculture, food, and related industries contributed roughly 9% to Namibia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Despite the growth in agricultural production, food security and nutrition remain concerns, especially when looking at the vulnerability to shocks at the household level. It is estimated that 70% of the Namibian population depends on agriculture in terms of employment, income, and food security. Agriculture plays an important role in the process of economic development and can contribute significantly to household food security. To improve the agricultural sector the government provides more funding for agricultural tertiaries to research all areas of agricultural production this will lead to more exports and improvement in the competitiveness of Namibia’s agriculture production in international markets. Thus, agricultural growth provides opportunities for the poor to increase their incomes. Whether the poor can seize these opportunities depends on their education and health amongst others.

The development in Namibia is guided by the Vision 2030 initiative, the Fifth National Development Plan, the zero-hunger strategic review, and the Harambee Prosperity Plan, which all recognize the importance of food and nutrition security and support the Zero Hunger initiative in contributing to Namibia’s drive to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The Zambezi and the two Kavango regions are by far the best options as hubs for food security in Namibia. This whole dependence on South Africa and other countries for everything, especially food is going to cost us a lot.

Moreover, Namibia has about Eleven (11) green scheme projects. More importantly, the majority of Namibia’s poor live in rural areas and depend upon agriculture for their livelihood. Agriculture is therefore critical both for economic development and poverty reduction. Therefore, investing in agriculture is one of the most important government instruments for promoting economic growth and alleviating poverty in rural areas. Namibians can benefit from agriculture and the economic growth that will come with it. We need to make smart decisions today. We need to attract more investment in the agriculture sector to create jobs for Namibians.

Therefore, given that agriculture is the leader in our country, the resilience of farming systems in adapting to climate change is crucial. The improvements in farm production systems also provide a major mitigation source by increasing carbon stocks in terrestrial systems and reducing emissions by increasing efficiency. At the same time, more needs to be done to increase rural living standards, reduce regional income differentials, and lower the rate of rural-urban migration, while concomitantly increasing agricultural production and enhancing Namibia’s food and nutrition security. The Government of Namibia should implement a rural development strategy with a focus on large modern farms and family farming. To make this shift, regulatory reforms that define the principles of public investment, lay out a framework for attracting private investment to the agricultural sector while enhancing access to finance, and responsiveness.

Furthermore, considering agriculture’s importance to the overall economy, some challenges need to be addressed urgently to unleash its full potential. One such challenge is agricultural marketing and trade. In Namibia, only UNAM Neudamm and Ogongo campuses have a dedicated department for agricultural marketing and a lot more focus is needed by academia and research. Training at Neudamm and Ogongo campuses focuses on agriculture, management of natural resources, and environmental science. The downward trend in enrollment in agriculture courses poses a serious concern to the agriculture sector, which is responsible for supporting the country’s growing demand for food security.

The government can create a new awareness about the potential of this sector and its diverse opportunities. There should be a re-orientation programme where youths will be taught to see agriculture as a business that can create agro-billionaires. The greater freedom of world trade will mean that it is important to stay competitive. Efficiency and productivity will be of utmost importance. The agricultural economist must, therefore, train people in the most economical use of production factors. The government should play a big role in the reforms of UNAM Neudamm and Ogongo campuses. Hence, the government must invest heavily in agriculture so that we can harness the huge resources in the sector.

In conclusion, to achieve the agricultural transformation, there will be a need for increased allocation of resources, even a doubling of the budget. In addition, partnerships with the private sector and other key stakeholders working in the sector will be critical in enhancing investment and service delivery in agriculture.

Increasing funding to the sector will potentially lead to improved livelihoods and better economic growth. Further, as long as agriculture transforms, other sectors will grow resulting in overall growth in the rural sector and the economy.

Hence, I recommend that Namibia prioritize the sector and increase budget allocations in line with the agricultural transformation while ensuring that adequate resources are provided for key programs that will unlock the performance of the sectors.