Agribank to capacitate Utuseb farmers

THE Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank) is to roll out a programme to build farmers capacity to improve their productivity and incomes.

Experts from the bank’s agri advisory services division will meet farmers at Utuseb settlement in the Erongo region next week.

Agribank farming mentor for Erongo and Kunene regions, Arnoldt Gaseb, said the aim is to develop farmers’ capacity through various platforms such as information days, lectures and training sessions.

Through regional stakeholders’ meetings the bank identifies major challenges faced by farmers at the local and regional level, and works out the best strategy to address them.

Gaseb said the participation of government officials, non-governmental organisations, farmers unions, associations and the private sector, enables the development of solutions to these challenges which are then incorporated into an annual plan of action.

Apart from farmers, Agri­bank also invited officials from agriculture, and environment ministries, the Gobabeb training and research centre, the Topnaar Traditional Authority, the Erongo Regional Council and NamWater to the meeting.

Utiseb is located in the Namib Desert, approximately 40km from Walvis Bay on the banks of the Kuiseb River.

The settlement has approximately 700 inhabitants and falls within the Walvis Bay Rural constituency.

This year, the Topnaar Traditional Authority leader, Ambrosius Swartbooi, urged deputy prime minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah to help the Topnaar people with drought relief.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.