WINDHOEK – A potpourri, which changes from policy guidelines to inspiring leadership with a good portion of salt and pepper, or rather meat and mutton ribs, was the outcome of the 2nd Agricultural Outlook Conference held in Windhoek last week.
Welcoming participants to the conference, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, John Mutorwa, singled out the Namibia Agricutlural Union (NAU) as role player and partner of Government in the agricultural sector, most probably referring to the implementation of the National Rangeland Strategy, which NAU will start soon with the assistance of European funds.
Keynote speaker, Minister of Trade and Industry, Calle Schlettwein, expressed his concern about the decrease of the agricultural sector’s contribution towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This has decreased from 7.4% in 1980 to 3.2% in 2013. The Fourth National Development Plan (NDP4), however, has excepted agriculture as a priority sector in support of the expected economic growth rate of 4% in the agricultural sector and the livestock sector has been excepted for complying with these expectations to reach the aims of the National Industrialisation Policy.
Furthermore, Schlettwein re-confirmed the support to the intensive industries for the promotion of the Namibian economy. Daniel Motinga, chief economist of the First National Bank emphasised the importance of export markets and indicated that this is the only way to create a sustainable manner of welfare, supplementary to the local need. Motinga furthermore expressed his concern about the growing unemployment amongst the youth in the world and the impact of this on future consume.
Something different on the programme was a talk by the well-known Professor Tim Noakes, who again confirmed that what Namibia produces, namely meat and a nice fat mutton rib, together with some eggs, is healthy and a good diet for people who want to lose weight. Technology in the agricultural sector is still in its infant stages and Greg Miles, well-known in these circles, lifted the veil somewhat on everything which can be done and is still expected with regard to the use of technology.
The Conference was concluded with a very inspiring talk by the well-known Dr Brand Pretorius, retired head of the McCarthy motor company who threw autocratic management styles out of the window and replaced them with participating, human directed and examplary management as an alternative successful leadership.