Namibia Suffers Supply Gaps of 136 700 Tonnes of Wheat

Namibia is in dire need to fill up the gaps of major demand for wheat as total annual production is not close to what is needed.

This Southern African country produces only about 3 300 tonnes of wheat annually, far short of the more than 140 000 tonnes demanded, leaving a shortfall of roughly 136 700 tonnes, AR leader Dr Job Amupanda told lawmakers recently.

Dr Job Amupanda a Namibian lawmaker told parliament during a debate on contents of the national Budget that the numbers demonstrate how far Namibia remains from achieving food self-sufficiency.

He also pointed to slow progress in expanding agricultural production under government’s land utilisation plans.During her state of the nation address, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah announced that 130 000 hectares would be placed under productive land use.

However, budget figures show that only 1 290 hectares were actually planted, representing 0.99% of the target.

Despite the criticism, Amupanda highlighted the Namibia Correctional Service as an example of a government institution successfully producing food.

Operating across about 5 400 hectares, the correctional service produces maize and wheat used to feed inmates in correctional facilities and detainees in police holding cells across the country.