Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform is committing over N$28 million to a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering food security and building climate resilience among small-scale producers. The funding will support key agricultural sectors across the country’s 14 regions.
According to ministry spokesperson Simon Nghipandulwa, the funding will be channelled through several targeted programs. The Horticulture Support and Value Chain Development Programme will provide significant subsidies on inputs for approximately 1,000 small-scale farmers. This includes a 50% subsidy on seeds, 60% on fertilisers, and a 65% subsidy on irrigation materials and shade nets. The program also offers subsidised tillage services to help with land preparation.
The Poultry Value Chain Development Scheme, with a budget of N5.04 million, will support 2,000 small-scale poultry producers.The scheme offers 60,840,000, which is allocated for training to enhance producers’ skills in poultry production and marketing.
In the dairy sector, the Dairy Value Chain Development Scheme is being piloted in five regions, with a focus on 150 existing dairy producers. The initiative provides subsidies on production stock, veterinary medicines, feeds, and equipment, with a maximum subsidy of N200,000 for cattle producers and N100,000 for goat producers.
Finally, the Small Stock Distribution and Development Programme will continue its efforts to provide quality breeding flocks to vulnerable households. Each beneficiary will receive 20 ewes and one ram to help establish a sustainable source of income.
