Andrew Kathindi
Agriculture, water and land reform executive director Percy Misika has revealed that the country’s food security has been compromised as national silos are empty.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed government’s preparedness for emergencies as there is currently insufficient food supply stored in the nation’s grain reserves.
“The silos are empty but all is not lost because from our assessment from the current cropping season we are expecting 64,000 tons of white maize and 1,800 tons of pale millet. This would be over and above what is necessary for sustaining Namibian households for food security and which can be pumped back into the formal markets and if that is available,” he said.
“We should be able to secure enough grain to put back into the silos. We should start buying, through AMTA, around June or July after the harvest season begins in May.”
An Agricultural Inputs and Household Food Security Situation Report released late last year revealed that at the time only of stock of 7.33 percent of the total holding capacity was available. This consisted of about 711.86 tonnes of white maize at Katima Mulilo, Rundu and Tsandi and about 967.32 tonnes of pearl millet at the Okongo silo.
“The silos are not usually empty around this time, but became empty after we offloaded to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the food bank to feed the 744 people who requested assistance,” Misika said.
The agriculture ministry executive director said while there has been a negative impact on the food value chain of the agricultural sector, from production to the markets, not all the failures can be attributed to the COVID-19 as the sector is still reeling from three years of drought.
“In the midst of the highest levels of rains the country has received in three years, the limiting measures of the lockdown have compromised the food security of households. The agricultural sector is a labour intensive and because the lockdown, which limits the coming together of workers, the levels of production will be affected negatively,” he said.
“It is likely that we might not recover in time to have a good crop for the period after lockdown. When the COVID-19 came, people had not harvested yet and it this will rob food security off those whose incomes have been affected.”
Minister of Agriculture, Calle Schlettwein said efforts are being made to subsidize for the shortage with imports using pre agreed monthly consignments for the coming months before the silos can be restocked.
“We already have some grains, maize, rice, wheat, millet and more will be coming. We have engaged millers to be locked into continuously providing the sector so that it will not run dry,” he said.
Meanwhile farmer Ephraim Nekongo said that there has been a lack of markets for various farmers. He said there are farmers sitting at home with produce because the retail shops are not absorbing their products.
“A few who used to sell at open markets have since stopped due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The pandemic is a wakeup call for Namibia to minimize reliance on South Africa for food. The country should produce its own food and have its own food reserves post COVID-19,” Nekongo said.
Namibia Agricultural Union Executive Manager Roelie Venter said to break the overreliance on imports for food security, the emphasis should be put on rural areas to create jobs and develop the rural economy. “Post the pandemic investing in rural agriculture will be the way to go to realise food security at household levels.”
