In order for the agricultural sector to deliver on a package of objectives including water generation and land reform and resettlement, a set of policy and institutional reforms have become necessary.

Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, said this during the 2022 Agricultural Outlook Conference held in Windhoek on Wednesday.

The conference, a first of its kind, was jointly organised by the Namibia National Farmers Union, Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers Union, the Previously Disadvantaged Namibians’ Farmers Union and the Namibia Agricultural Union.

“At policy level in the water sector, the Water Resource Management Act 11 of 2013 is being reviewed and a set of draft regulations are being considered to operationalise the Act,” he said.

The Meat Industry Amendment Act, he further explained, is also due for consideration by the Cabinet Committee on Legislation, after principal clearance by Cabinet.

This, Schlettwein said, would strengthen the implementation of the poultry market share scheme and support the revival of the dairy industry.

Schlettwein said the legal drafting for the Land Bill is finalised, following an intensive consultation process to incorporate the key considerations from the second land conference.

He added that the criteria for land resettlement have been reviewed and the stakeholder consultation process is now the next step.

“Productive utilisation of the resettlement farms will be embedded as a necessary condition for the land resettlement programme,” he stated.

Meanwhile, on underperformance key institutions in the sector, the minister said this needs to be urgently addressed in order to realise value and serve farmers better.

“This is in specific reference to Meatco’s business sustainability and its market outreach to all the farmers, particularly in the Northern Communal Areas,” Schlettwein said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency