Hardap: The Embassy of Japan has handed over the first consignment of procured farming inputs to the Hardap regional leadership as part of a Japan-funded project to enhance the resilience of farming communities affected by drought. This initiative aims to support the agricultural sector in Namibia through adaptive agriculture techniques.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the project, valued at N. dollars 2,985,759, is titled 'Enhancing Resilience of Farming Communities Affected by Drought through the Promotion of Adaptive Agriculture.' It is being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform. The project will run until November 2027 and will provide farmers with agro-input packages including vegetable and leguminous seeds, fruit tree seedlings, fertilizers, and tools. Additional support will be offered in the form of livestock aid, water-saving technologies, and training for 60 extension officers and 6,000 farmers in climate-smart agriculture. A dedicated Hardap Regional Drought Action Plan is also part of the project.
Japan Ambassador to Namibia, Shinichi Asazuma, highlighted that the project is being executed in multiple regions including Erongo, Kunene, Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, and Hardap. Since 2022, Japan has committed over US dollars 5.1 million to Namibia's emergency response, drought mitigation, food security, and climate resilience efforts, in collaboration with FAO.
In a speech read on behalf of Agriculture Minister Inge Zaamwani, it was noted that Namibia imports 60 percent of its staple food needs, a structural vulnerability that the government is addressing through domestic production and resilience initiatives. Zaamwani emphasized that the project is a comprehensive climate resilience intervention aimed at transforming the food production, water management, and drought preparedness of Namibia's smallholder and agro-pastoralist households.
Hardap Governor, Riaan McNab, noted the recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall patterns, and rising input costs that continue to challenge agricultural production and rural livelihoods. He mentioned that the 2023/2024 El Ni±o season was particularly harsh, impacting many households' recovery efforts. McNab expressed optimism that the project would directly address these challenges and called on traditional authorities, constituency councillors, community leaders, and farmers' organizations to support the mobilization of beneficiary communities and encourage participation in farmers' field school activities.