Africa-Press – Namibia. Agro-processing holds the key to unlocking Namibia’s agricultural potential.
This was said by agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani at the 2025 National Agronomy and Horticulture Awards (NAHA) yesterday in Katima Mulilo. Zaamwani stressed that turning raw harvests into processed products will boost food security, create jobs, and keep wealth circulating within the country.
“Agro-processing is a game-changer,” she declared. “By transforming maize into cereals, potatoes into frozen products, tomatoes into pastes, and fruits into juices and preserves, we extend shelf life, create rural industries, and keep wealth circulating within Namibia.”
The minister tied her message to the Sixth National Development Plan (NDP6), which sets ambitious targets for the crop sector. These include raising its GDP contribution from 7.5% to 10% by 2030, reducing post-harvest losses from 24% to 15%, and growing the value of processed products from N$1.5 billion to N$5 billion within five years.
Zaamwani cautioned that the road ahead would not be easy, pointing to gaps in storage, infrastructure, and logistics that continue to affect farming communities, particularly in communal areas. She said government is responding by investing in processing hubs, energy and water infrastructure, rural roads, and farmer cooperatives.
Still, she emphasised that government cannot achieve this transformation alone. “True success requires whole-value-chain partnerships,” she said. Farmers must deliver consistent quality, processors must adopt modern technologies, traders should expand markets, financiers need to support innovation, and academia must drive research and skills development.
“Innovation must be our compass,” she urged, calling on Namibia to embrace digital platforms, climate-smart technologies, and product diversification to build competitive, branded products for both local and international markets.
NAHA, which was held for the first time in the Zambezi region, became a rallying call to transform challenges in the crop sector into pathways for prosperity.
Zambezi governor Dorothy Kabula said the annual event is not only a celebration of excellence, but also a recognition of the resilience and innovation of all actors in the crop value chain,” she said.
Kabula highlighted Zambezi’s unique role in Namibia’s food security. The region is a leading producer of pearl millet and harvests up to 7,000 tonnes of maize annually despite erratic climate conditions. Yet, she acknowledged the pressing challenges: post-harvest losses of up to 30%, limited processing facilities, and long distances to markets.
“These challenges are real,” Kabula noted, “but they are also opportunities.” She pointed to the Namibian Agronomic Board’s plans to set up grain collection centres as a game-changer for local farmers, while stressing Zambezi’s untapped potential in horticulture. With fertile soils and water from the mighty Zambezi River, the region could diversify into tropical fruits such as mango, banana, avocado, and pineapple – and process them into juices, jams, pulps, and dried products.
As both leaders spoke, a shared vision emerged: Namibia’s agricultural future will be built not on raw harvests alone, but on processing, innovation, and inclusive partnerships.
The NAHA 2025 winners embodied this vision – farmers, processors, and entrepreneurs proving that with resilience and creativity, Namibia’s crop sector can feed the nation, empower communities, and compete beyond its borders.
Kabula summed it up: “The Zambezi region’s story reflects Namibia’s wider journey – rich potential, persistent challenges, and boundless opportunity through agro-processing innovation.”
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