Agriculture ministry raises concern over Namibia’s food import dependence
Namibian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ruthy Masake has expressed concern over the country's high dependence on food imports. She urged for increased domestic production to improve food security and economic sovereignty.
Why it matters
It highlights critical economic and food security challenges facing Namibia, emphasizing the need for agricultural self-sufficiency.
Namibia still relies heavily on imports to meet a significant share of the country’s food requirements, with nearly all fruit consumed domestically imported during 2025/2026, while more than half of the maize, wheat and pearl millet requirements were also met through imports during the same period.
This was revealed by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ruthy Masake, who spoke on behalf of Agriculture Minister Inge Zaamwani during the 2026 National Agronomy and Horticulture Awards (NAHA). The event recently took place in Gobabis, Omaheke Region, under the theme “Enhancing Resilience in Agriculture through Crop Farming”.
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