During the 2021/2022 cropping season, 44 959 farmers of which half were women benefitted from input and mechanised services from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform’s Dry Land Crop Production Programme.

During the same year a total of 771 horticulture producers of which 50 per cent were women also benefitted from the horticulture support and value chain development project, the ministry’s Executive Director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata said recently during the women and agriculture summit organised by Heiress Communications.

The event took place under the theme ‘Tackling Global Food Insecurity and Women’s Role in Feeding the World.’

‘It promoted discussions between decision makers and the women’s business community on topics related to agriculture and farming, and their potential to have a net-positive impact on the economy,” Nghituwamata said in a media statement issued on Sunday.

The executive director said the challenge of food insecurity, particularly in rural areas, given the country’s increasing rural-urban migration has a negative impact on agricultural production.

She further noted that women contribute significantly to household investment, community resilience, national economy growth and the vibrancy of regional economies.

However, their efforts are limited by lack of access to productive resources, technologies, services and market access.

The ED stated that investment in women will accelerate agricultural growth while addressing food security and self food reliance.

‘Our ministry is compounded to prioritise support to female farmers and youth through the development of conducive policies which are gender sensitive,’ she said.

Fifteen high-profile speakers including World Food Programme country director George Fedha and Namibia Agronomic Board chief executive officer Fidelis Mwazi spoke at the summit.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency