Agriculture

Ester Unoovene, a 33-year-old unemployed graduate, has finally found her niche in farming and is enjoying all the ups and downs that come with the trade. 

The 2022/23 production and trade statistics from the Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB) show that the total domestic demand for wheat grain in Namibia stands at 144, 939 tonnes per annum, which translates into an average domestic demand of 12,078 tonnes per month. 

As the devastating drought continues its grip on Kunene region, the government is encouraging farmers to pursue small-stock farming, which mostly involves livestock that requires less pasture to stay alive. 

Highly infectious diseases, such as foot and mouth disease (FMD), could spell disaster for livestock exports. 

Raising chickens is rapidly becoming a lucrative farming enterprise that provides affordable protein products to households all over the country.

After a short pause, we thought it necessary to kickstart out financial management for farmers and Agripreneurs with debt management, which is a pain point for most of us, especially given the economic conditions and the ever-increasing interest rates.

Namibia has launched its first Community Seed Bank in the Kavango West region to help safeguard local seed varieties to promote biodiversity and ensure food security. 

Plans are underway to establish a vaccine factory for animal diseases in Namibia, and it may begin supplying vaccines to the agricultural sector as early as the end of 2024. 

Growing fruit trees can be a very rewarding business venture; however, it requires farmers to possess essential knowledge and understanding to profitably grow trees of high value. 

Communal farmers, Wilson Tjirare, Godfried Zemburuka and Frenfriedt Karipata, emerged victorious at the recently held Agra 2023 Weaner Championship Series.