Africa-Press – Namibia. A TOTAL of N$12 million will be transferred to all regional councils across the country for the implementation of the Horticulture Support and Value Chain Development Programme (HSVCDP), which aims to support small-scale horticulture producers.
“The objective of the programme is to ensure sustainable access to, availability and use of essential farm inputs, as well as the capacity building of small-scale horticulture producers along the horticultural value chain. The programme aims to increase food production and productivity, thereby enhancing food security and building the resilience of horticulture producers to climate change. During the 2025/26 financial year, the programme targets to benefit 1,000 small-scale horticulture producers,” said the ministry’s Executive Director, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata.
She explained that the programme targets horticulture producers with an average production size of 0.01 to 0.5 hectares, and fodder producers with up to 1 hectare. She added that the programme will be implemented across all 14 regions of the country.
“The Directorate of Agricultural Production, Extension and Engineering Services (DAPEES) will oversee the implementation of the programme in the regions, together with the implementing regional councils, to ensure the timely provision of subsidy budgets for inputs, awareness creation, monitoring, and to facilitate training, including demonstrations, farmer information sessions and field days,” Nghituwamata explained.
She further revealed that the government will provide subsidies for horticultural seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, irrigation materials, and shade nets. Land preparation, such as tillage services, will also be subsidised and delivered through private tractor service providers.
According to Nghituwamata, the subsidy funds will be transferred to regional councils, which will be responsible for creating awareness of the programme, registering interested farmers, and developing a database of eligible horticulture producers.
“The regions will convene meetings with retailers to identify and register those who will participate in programme implementation. A producer will only benefit from the subsidy on agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertiliser, pesticides, and tillage services once per year. Producers will benefit from water pumps, irrigation materials, and shade net packages on a once-off basis, or they may opt to procure them gradually from the packages of water pumps, irrigation systems, shade nets, tanks and stands, as the need arises. Prospective beneficiaries will be advised to obtain a quotation from a supplier of their choice within Namibia,” she explained.
To qualify as a beneficiary, producers must be Namibian citizens and verified as existing vegetable producers by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB). They must also have access to a reliable water source and submit both production and marketing plans. Preference will be given to women, youth, and full-time horticulture producers.
For groups (such as associations or cooperatives, excluding schools and churches) to qualify, they must already be engaged in horticultural production, and their members must not have benefited from the programme as individuals. The group must provide a list of members, a constitution or by-laws, agreements, and proof of land ownership or a letter from a traditional authority. Groups must also submit production and marketing plans and demonstrate access to a reliable water source.
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