Windhoek
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has expressed concern over the high number of incidents of crime, particularly attacks on farmers and incidents of illegal hunting and poaching.
She said government is determined to address these concerns and called on the farming communities to work together. Kuugongelwa-Amadhila at the same time implored farmers to take care of those who work for them, as some of disgruntled workers have resorted to attacking farmers as a way of settling scores.
“In agriculture we need unity! We must understand the importance of agriculture and appreciate that our future needs farmers,” she said while addressing the 61st annual Windhoek Industrial and Agricultural Show on Thursday.
“Seven years ago about 37 percent of employees were engaged in agricultural services, while 16.2 percent of all households relied on agricultural activities for their subsistence,” she noted.
She further revealed that skilled agricultural workers make up the largest occupational group in Namibia, 23.2 percent of the employed population.
“Agriculture’s contribution to the GDP reduced from 6.1 percent in 2000 to 3.7 percent in 2014. However, this fall is mainly ascribed to a reduced contribution by crop farming and forestry,” she said.
“Livestock farming has maintained an average contribution of 2.6 percent to GDP over the same period. This contribution showed massive swings from year to year mainly reflecting the climatic conditions at the time. Livestock farming has become the mainstay of the agricultural sector. The contribution of livestock farming to value added in agriculture rose from 40 percent in 2001 to 60 percent in 2014,” she further expounded.
Urging farmers to pull up their socks, she said – based on assumption – the agricultural sector would in future absorb fewer workers, compared to non-agricultural sectors.
In order to revive and sustain economic growth, create jobs, alleviate poverty and reduce inequalities, the National Agricultural Policy aims to increase real farm incomes and national and household food security, she said.
MANUFACTURING
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila further said the 2014 Labour Force Survey indicates that the manufacturing sector of Namibia only accommodates around 28 700 employees, 4 percent of all employees countrywide.
She said the manufacturing sector has the potential to employ more than 29 000 workers and could definitely add more than 12 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“Through beneficiation of raw materials we should be able to bring our manufactured exports closer to 90 percent of total exports, from the current 55 percent. Government is prioritising the manufacturing sector through the Industrial Policy – also called the Growth at Home Policy – as the agricultural sector’s contribution to the GDP saw a reduction from 6.1 percent in 2000 to 3.7 percent in 2014,” she noted.
Manufacturing workers numbered less than those in the transport and communication sector (26 565) during 2014, but more than in mining and quarrying (14 540).
“Average growth in manufacturing output between 2001 and 2014 was 6.3 percent, which is lower than the average real GDP growth of 8.8 percent over the same period,” she stated.
“The contribution of manufacturing to the GDP over the period 2007 to 2014 averaged 12.3 percent, but its contribution to merchandise exports amounted to 54.8 percent over the same period. Manufactured exports make up the single largest contribution to merchandise exports and exceeds the share of ore and mineral exports,” she further said.
The PM said fish products contributed the largest portion of 27.6 percent to total goods exported, followed by metals (blister copper and refined zinc) with 23.4 percent, followed by beverages with 8.1 percent, and cut and polished diamonds contributing 7.9 percent.
RISK MANAGEMENT
“Under this policy government undertakes to provide responsive relief and rehabilitation measures in handling other natural disasters, particularly pest and disease infestation, as well as occasional flooding in the northern and other areas of the country,” she said.
She was glad that government – with the support of relevant stakeholders – was able to detect and effectively respond to an outbreak of food-and-mouth disease (FMD) in the Northern Communal Areas. Close to 400 000 cattle have been vaccinated in five regions and 821 000 doses of FMD vaccine have been acquired at a cost of N$12.8 million.
“Today it is general knowledge that global climate change is expected to lead to erratic rainfall, unevenly distributed across our vast country, with higher average temperatures and increased water evaporation. These will undermine both commercial livestock production and traditional subsistence agriculture, with serious implications for employment, food security and export revenue,” she noted.
Referring to previous droughts she said Namibia went through a severe drought in the 2011/12 rainy season, which required massive government intervention to supply food and water to affected communities. The past rainy season (2014/2015) also proved to be dismally inadequate as only some regions of the country received average rainfall.
She said national and regional climate forecasts suggest the coming rainy season may be below average as well. Government has adopted a risk-based approach to disaster management, with the focus on improved monitoring and early warning systems, strong decision-support systems, as well as the identification and implementation of mitigation actions, capacity building for natural resources managers and the public, and drought mitigation plans to reduce the most serious impacts, she stated.
Investment in drought mitigation planning management and appropriate policies should provide individuals with the tools necessary to reduce vulnerability to future droughts, she said.