The Namibian government's efforts to extend agricultural extension services to assist farmers to produce for food self-sufficiency are hampered by various natural phenomena such as pests.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform, Ruth Masake, said the government is doing all in its power to ensure that the country produces its own food instead of relying on imports.

Masake said this on Saturday at Linyanti in the Zambezi Region after visiting crop fields infested by locusts and armyworms since February.

The headman of Linyanti Village, Beavan Muyaukwa, raised concerns that armyworms and locusts damaging crop fields is a burden on local farmers. 

He also raised concern about the vandalism of the Linyanti Agricultural Development Centre.

Muyaukwa also added that there was a critical need for the rehabilitation of government-drilled boreholes in the area.

The agriculture deputy minister reported that the directorate mounted three vehicles with insecticide spray, with teams working tirelessly to contain the spread of the locusts.

The deputy minister urged farmers who are experiencing locust and armyworm infestations in their crop fields to report and register with the agriculture extension offices in their areas for timely assistance.

She also used the opportunity to caution the community—not only Linyanti but Namibia as a whole— to guard against vandalism of government infrastructure.

Linyanti Constituency Councillor Irvin Kabunga echoed similar sentiments with the Linyanti Induna, calling for swift action from the responsible ministry.