Epukiro: Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has declared agriculture as the cornerstone of Namibia's Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), emphasizing its significant role in advancing the nation's development agenda. In a speech delivered on his behalf during the official opening of the Epukiro Business and Agricultural Expo, Ngurare outlined the critical contributions agriculture must make towards achieving a more diversified, productive, and inclusive economy, which is capable of generating decent employment opportunities.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Ngurare highlighted that NDP6 aims for Namibia to produce 80% of its national food requirements by 2030, up from the current baseline of 60%. He stressed the importance of supporting farmers not just as producers, but as agricultural entrepreneurs. Ngurare elaborated on the economic potential beyond production, urging the retention of value within Namibia through processes such as cattle production, horticultural processing, packaging, preservation, and marketing.
Ngurare pointed out that strengthening linkages with feed producers, transporters, abattoirs, processors, retailers, and exporters is essential for transforming agriculture from a primary activity into a comprehensive economic value chain. He noted that NDP6 prioritizes the revitalization of strategic agricultural value chains, climate-smart production, market access and competitiveness, as well as agro-processing and value addition.
Furthermore, Ngurare stated that the future of farming is not solely about production but involves entrepreneurship, innovation, and active participation in the value chain. He acknowledged that agriculture alone cannot transform rural communities and called for robust small and medium enterprises (SMEs) around agriculture. Ngurare emphasized the government's role in creating an enabling environment for SMEs to access finance, markets, technology, infrastructure, skills, and information. This, he said, aligns with NDP6's goals to increase employment and diversify the economy.
He concluded by highlighting the importance of expos like the one in Epukiro, as they provide farmers and entrepreneurs with opportunities to build commercial relationships, moving beyond isolated production towards a more integrated approach.