Namibia is facing a significant challenge in its agriculture sector, with a 50% decline in wheat production primarily due to high input costs and adverse climate conditions. This situation has forced many wheat farmers to reduce or cease their operations, especially because of the high electricity costs for irrigation and worsening weather patterns. To combat these issues, the Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB), in collaboration with the University of Namibia (Unam) and other stakeholders, is exploring various wheat varieties through research and trials to find those most adaptable to the local climate. This initiative aims to lower production costs, improve storage facilities, and ultimately increase local wheat production. This effort is critical as wheat is a staple food in Namibia, yet the country imports about 90% of its wheat annually due to low domestic production.
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Original content
High input costs and unfavourable climate conditions are some of the key factors that continue to threaten the livelihood of wheat-producing farmers and the country’s agronomic sector, which has posted a 50% decline in production output. The worrying trend was shared by the Namibia Agronomic Board (NAB), which said a large number of wheat-producing farmers across the country were either forced to downsize or completely halt operations due to the rising input costs. The biggest challenge to the country’s wheat farmers is the high costs of electricity at the various irrigation schemes and deteriorating weather conditions, which are a result of climate change. “We are not witnessing a declined per say, but rather a fluctuating trend in terms of wheat production. The NAB has embarked on research and also doing a trail-runs on a variety of wheat crops at various production areas, with the aim to see which wheat varieties will adapt well to our climate conditions. We have partnered with ...
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