Agriculture funding woes deepen as MPs warn of food security risks

Members of parliament have raised concerns over the continued underfunding of the agriculture ministry, a trend they say persists every fiscal year.

Landless People’s Movement leader Bernadus Swartbooi echoed these sentiments in parliament on Monday during the committee stage debate on the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform.

The ministry received N$1.8 billion for the current financial year.

“Agriculture shows that it is the way forward, yet it continues to receive less attention. Take the Neckartal Dam for example, it remains underfunded. What is preventing this dam from becoming a food production hub?

“Wetvlei once had a state-of-the-art abattoir but it was shut down. Are there any plans to revive it and support the communities that depended on it?” Swartbooi asked.

He argued that declining allocations for land distribution and acquisition, particularly concerning ancestral land, signal a lack of commitment.

He cautioned that agriculture remains poorly funded, placing national food security at risk while also affecting efforts to address unemployment.

National Democratic Party leader Martin Lukato calls on the ministry to strengthen the fodder feeding scheme to support struggling farmers.

Meanwhile, Affirmative Repositioning parliamentarian Ester Haikola-Sakaria questions why the budget does not adequately address drought challenges faced by farmers.

“Farmers are currently surviving on drought relief food, but this is not sustainable. What is the ministry doing to provide long-term solutions?” she asks.

Haikola-Sakaria also raises concerns over the deteriorating standards of veterinary clinics, urging the ministry to prioritise improvements in animal health services.

According to the budget, over N$1.4 billion is allocated to the operational budget, while over N$300 million is allocated to the development budget.

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