With food prices increasing drastically, the government should now more than ever channel all its efforts towards the production of food through its green schemes to ensure food security and social stability in Namibia.
This was stated by senior lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Namibia (UNAM), Dr Omu Kakujaha-Matundu in interview with Nampa on Monday, saying the government should get serious with the green schemes to ensure food security for its people.
“Owing to the Russia-Ukraine war, increasing of prices in various food products, especially wheat and grains, will not stop any time soon,” warned Kakujaha-Matundu.
Low-income groups will be adversely affected, he said, stressing that macroeconomic level food prices have the potential to push up inflation, which could equally trigger the Bank of Namibia (BoN) to increase the repo rate by a margin which will not only hurt consumers, but could slow economic growth and cause social instability in the country.
“The Namibian government should get serious with its green schemes and not just pay lip service to it. With the war in Eastern Europe, which seems to be a prolonged conflict, food price increases will not let down soon, so hopefully the Namibian government will learn something from the Russia-Ukraine war and prepare for other unforeseen disasters,” he said.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform in June this year issued a request for proposals to lease out 11 green schemes and one dairy project to investors, after the Agricultural Business Development Agency in charge of the schemes failed and the government resolved to liquidate it.
The ministry’s public relations officer, Jona Musheko, confirmed that thus far, the ministry has successfully commenced the process to lease out four green schemes – the Uvungu Vungu Green Scheme Irrigation Project; Ndonga Linena Green Scheme Irrigation Project; Orange River Irrigation Project; Katima/Liselo farm green-scheme – and the Uvhungu-vhungu Dairy Project.
Economist in the Ministry of Mines and Energy’s Directorate of Petroleum Affairs, Abednego Ekandjo, told Nampa the government will need to support, promote and protect local food producers through targeted policy interventions to ensure self-sufficiency and creation of local jobs.
“Government needs to go back to the drawing board and rethink its entire approach to questions of social and economic development. Food is one of the basic needs of the people, and an increase in food prices will only add more pressure on already struggling households,” he noted.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
