Author: Charles Tjatindi (Charles Tjatindi )

It is a critical time for Namibia. With a large, growing youth population – the majority living in rural areas – and a limited amount of arable land, the world is looking to Namibia and by extension, Africa’s potential for growth and prosperity.

Farmers from all walks of life are expected to converge on the Agra Ring in Windhoek in two weeks for the much-anticipated strategic farming seminar. 

A close friend, who has been farming as a livestock farmer for years, recently asked me what the biggest motivation should be for him to turn to crop farming. 

Agriculture could be the answer to shifting economic patterns, which requires countries to continually strive to do more with less. For a country that still imports roughly 80% of its food, which accounts for more than N$32 billion, Namibia could benefit from a more stern focus on agriculture.

If you are a novice farmer who seems overwhelmed by the various decisions on farming you are called to make on the go, do not fret – there are hundreds of others in the same boat. 

The recent livestock movement restrictions and subsequent ban on exports of cattle to South Africa should serve as a wake-up call to farmers. The situation has surely amplified the need for a more diversified approach to farming, as opposed to sorely focusing on one product.

While many of our livestock farmers produce good quality genetics that could easily stand shoulder-to-shoulder with well-established farming brands out there, such farmers do not do much to expose such products to the world or at least the rest of Namibia.

Although the methods of hydroponic fodder production date back to the 1930s, there is renewed interest in hydroponic fodder as a feedstuff for sheep, goats, and other livestock.   

The death of prominent farmer Louis van der Merwe has drawn tributes from far and wide, especially from his native Omaheke region, where he was held in high regard. He died on Sunday following an illness.