DR. STEYTLER AFFIRMS AGRICULTURE AS BACKBONE TO THE ECONOMY
Published: 02 Jul 2015

“Agriculture is an important sector that has been part of Namibia’s development programmes and defined as the first link in the value chain for the ‘Growth at Home’ drive,” said Dr John Steytler, Economic Advisor to the President at Agra ProVision’s breakfast meeting last week Friday, 26 June. Hosted under the theme “What is happening to Namibia’s Animal Health?” the event discussed Namibia’s animal health status and the economic importance of livestock to Namibia’s development.

Dagmar Honsbein, General Manager of Agra Provision officiated the event. She cited the importance of networking events to engage all stakeholders and share information that has an impact on our livelihoods. “The recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia (NCAs) came as a wake-up call to remind us about the importance of maintaining healthy livestock. The time is opportune for all stakeholders to be updated on efforts invested in the agriculture industry, and specifically the livestock industry as an important contributor to Namibia’s economy,” she said.

While some animal diseases are spread due to external factors (like FMD or Rabies), others are spread due to the lack of appropriate farm management practices (like venereal and sexually transmitted diseases among especially male livestock). In the presentations, livestock owners were encouraged to take charge of their production systems. The contribution in N$-terms to the primary sector of the economy is based on effective and efficient farming. The latter is currently under immense pressure as elaborated by all speakers during the event. Some of these factors highlighted are interalia: the land and grazing resources are finite; bush encroachment is hampering access to fodder; diseases in many instances are spreading to areas previously declared as disease-free.

Dr Johannes Shoopala, Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF) gave a detailed presentation on the importance of ensuring that Namibia’s livestock is healthy at the well-attended event. This presentation highlighted the disease trends, and positive strides made by the State Veterinary Services to effectively combat various diseases thereby upholding trade with livestock and its products. One of the challenges that was noted was the increase of livestock in the NCAs, from 600 000 cattle in 1990 to 1.5 million in 2014. With limited land available, this leads to overstocking, dwindling of grazing resources and land degradation. Dr Shoopala said, “Despite these numerous challenges, it is noteworthy to mention that the country has been complying with international standards that allows Namibia to supply high quality livestock products worldwide. The Directorate of Veterinary Services has extended its services to different regions of the country, thereby making livestock production inclusive.” He continued by saying, “The recorded diseases with or without potential threat to trade have been controlled and strict measures are in place to ensure that our livestock is protected and free of from diseases.”

To share the economic importance of Namibia’s livestock to development, Dr John Steytler shared some key indicators while commending the organisation of the event; saying that His Excellency, President Dr Geingob would be proud to see the diversity of participants attending. In his introductory remarks, Dr Steytler said; “Agriculture is our livelihood, and we need to find strategies on how to turn it into sustainable and profitable businesses. We need to be productive on our land, to ensure that our land sustains us for generations to come.” Speaking on the economic value of agriculture, he noted that the agricultural sector positively contributes to the GDP of the country and that it’s an important sector that exports animals and its products. The sector employs at least 1/3 of the working population and helps the economy to retain a positive balance of payment system through, e.g. forex earnings. Without these forex inflows, Namibia’s currency peg to the South African Rand could be at risk.

Agra ProVision offers interactive information sessions every second month to facilitate networking and brainstorming among stakeholders and individuals on topics relevant to the agricultural industry. These sessions are open to members of the public, subject to advance confirmation of attendance.