Collen Kurana
Agriculture remains a vital aspect that continues to provide a sustainable livelihood for billions of people worldwide.
The Convention on Biological Diversity states that 2.6 billion people draw their livelihoods mostly from agriculture.
Due to technological advancement, the agricultural sector has innovated with high-tech machinery, leading to improved agricultural practices and more food production globally. Farmers enjoy the use of automated irrigation systems to maximise their harvests.
The African continent is the most blessed with land and space for agricultural activities. Despite being endowed with such resources, the continent continues to remain the most destitute on the planet.
In March 2018, Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry published a report, titled ‘National Policy on Subdivision and Consolidation of Agricultural Land’.
The report indicated that over 70% of the Namibian population depends directly or indirectly on agriculture for their income and livelihoods, mostly in the subsistence sector.
The northern and southern areas of Namibia are tagged as agricultural areas. In Namibia’s far northeast, the Zambezi region is earmarked as the country’s food basket region.
The Zambezi region has vast, fertile land and the availability of water both underground and in rivers. The region also receives the highest rainfall in Namibia, making it suitable for agricultural schemes.
Since independence, the region has struggled to capitalise on its abundant natural resources, let alone convert them into meaningful economic and agricultural activities for development.
Established agricultural plantations such as Katima Farm, which used to produce vegetables and other cereals for local consumption, remain dormant. The notable Kalimbeza Rice Project, which was declared a national project in 2009 for its potential to boost food security and assist with poverty reduction, grounded its operations recently.
Temporary workers were downsized and sent home. During the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation interview in 2023, the governor of the region indicated that financial constraints remain a challenge to the Kalimbeza Rice project. At present, there is no operational green scheme that produces food for the locals and the country in the Zambezi region.
While this continues unfolding, the Zambezi region’s population is expected to increase in the upcoming census count, adding another pressure to the current regional budget. For the past decades, unemployment and poverty rates in the region have been increasing. In 2015, the National Planning Commission reported that the Zambezi region was among the poorest four regions.
Also, the 2016 Namibia Labour Force Survey ranked the Zambezi region the highest in terms of unemployment.
In the same year, the Namibia Statistics Agency reported that Zambezi had a 48% unemployment rate.
While these phenomena unfold, the region has abundant fertile land, water and sunlight needed for green scheme activities. Moving forward, current dormant green schemes in the Zambezi region need to be reactivated to provide food security and employment opportunities in the region and the country at large.
Successful agricultural projects require proper funding and knowledge to utilise the land effectively and efficiently for a productive agricultural scheme.
Since the Zambezi region has favourable climate conditions, the traditional leaders and politicians in the region should consider establishing an agricultural school to explore both indigenous and modern agricultural knowledge and practices to maximise food production.
In short, agricultural programmes are catalysts for improving the livelihoods of billions of people across the globe.
The Zambezi region has the potential to become Namibia’s authentic food basket through efficient investment of resources in agricultural schemes.
Agriculture, in turn, can provide food security and employment opportunities for many Namibians.
Therefore, the current agricultural predicaments, coupled with poverty and employment in the region, require urgent interventions.
*Collen Kurana is a DPhil student in Peace Studies at DUT.