Namibia Implements Strategy to Reduce Food Import Dependency and Strengthen the Agricultural Sector

Namibia is intensifying measures aimed at reducing dependence on the import of staple food products such as white maize, wheat, and pearl millet (mahangu). The country’s Agricultural Council (NAB) has announced an update to its strategy for achieving greater food self-sufficiency, despite challenging climatic conditions affecting local agricultural production.

This is reported by AgroReview

Investments and Strategic Business Plan Through 2030

Recently, NAB presented an Integrated Strategic Business Plan for 2025–2030, outlining key steps to support the agricultural and horticultural sectors. This document envisions investments of 250 million Namibian dollars over five years to develop value chains for crops. The main objectives of the strategy are to achieve 60% self-sufficiency in grain, ensure 60% growth in horticultural exports, and attain 97% compliance with regulatory standards.

Structure of Grain Imports and Production in Namibia

According to the latest NAB grain market report for 2023/24, Namibia fully meets its white maize needs through imports from South Africa. Wheat primarily comes from Poland (47%), Latvia (43%), South Africa (8%), and Lithuania (2%). As for mahangu, a traditional crop for the country, production has sharply declined: imports of this product amounted to 2,245 tons (90% from Angola, 10% from India), while local production provided only 382 tons. Overall, grain production volumes in Namibia have decreased by 31%, attributed to a rainfall deficit and low yields.

“Despite the agricultural sector contributing 7% to Namibia’s GDP and 30% of employment, the country still relies on imports, which cover 70% of grain needs.”

In the 2023/24 marketing year, only 20% of grain (87,498 tons) was sourced from the domestic market, while imports totaled 345,262 tons. In the first half of 2024, Namibia imported 105,775 tons of white maize, 86,655 tons of wheat, and 2,245 tons of mahangu to address food shortages.