On the 16^th of August 2019, FAO Namibia was privileged to participate in the Agri4Youth Conference themed “Inspiring the Future of Agriculture in Namibia” in Windhoek. The event organised by GIZ- Agricultural Business & Capacity Development (ABCD) Project in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and National Service (MYSNS), the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF).  The youth engagement conference aimed at creating awareness, educating, inspiring, connecting and uniting Namibian youth in the Agriculture sector. With an objective to also provide them with a platform for dialogue, peer-learning, networking with business links to companies and relevant institutions.

Attended by more than 1000 youth from around Namibia, the conference was officiated by Hon. Anna Shiweda, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry followed by a keynote address from the Minister of Sport, Youth and National Services, Hon. Erastus Uutoni. Both emphasised how it is not possible to improve the status of youth without engaging them during policy formulation to include their valuable inputs. Additionally, both recognised how access to land, markets and capital hinder youth participation in agriculture. The keynote also accentuated the importance of becoming food secure as a nation and how venturing into diversified, value-added products can contribute to this.

FAO Namibia presented a “Regional Perspective of Youth in Agriculture” which highlighted the challenges that youth in agriculture face  and also  outlined some  of the good practices from across Africa to overcome these challenges.

Presentations complemented by practical real-life examples from various stakeholders illustrated opportunities in the value chain ranging from production, processing, sales, branding and marketing services. One farmer, Mr Michael Iyambo, MD of Oshikoto Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pty, highlighted that “An industry feeding the nation is an industry worth fighting for”. He further described how he began farming with 2 hectares under irrigation and today produces 3000 tonnes of produce per week.

Success Stories from Young Agri-Preneurs

Young agri-preneurs who are currently operating successful agricultural businesses, shared their stories and experiences to inspire fellow youth. One of such, Irja Jonah, a Fisheries and Aquatic Science graduate, recognised the underutilisation of kelp and a gap in the market for local poultry feed production. She produces kelp and incorporates it into poultry feed. Irja encouraged youth to carry out the necessary research before starting a business to see how feasible the venture is. She also encouraged government institutions to amend outdated policies in order to accommodate new business ideas as she found it difficult to identify which ministry to work with when starting her business.  

Leena Sindano, owner of Chizango Trading cc who purchases moringa seeds and leaves at a fair price from local farmers and produces tea, oil, powder and capsules. She encouraged those that that wish to start businesses to use low-cost resources which are readily available.

Sharing regional perspective, Maness Nkhata Ngoma (33), owner of Lakeshore Agro-Processing Enterprise (LAPE) in Malawi started with rural farmers as business partners and not beneficiaries through innovative and self-sustaining contract farming models in sunflower, soybean and cassava production; which are the key raw materials for LAPE’s cooking oil, seed cake, cassava starch and cassava flour. LAPE also offers Agripreneurship incubation services.

The conference included engaging panel discussion and concluded with a business networking session.