Finance and Public Enterprises Minister Ipumbu Shiimi says the government is committed to ensuring that investment in agriculture in the Zambezi Region is prioritised.

A number of people in Namibia are expected to experience food insecurity. The Kavango East Region alone fears for the livelihoods of about 15 000 households.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Anna Shiweda, said the Namibian government has officially declared a state of drought in Namibia.

A scientist at Avagro near Swakopmund has been exploring options for growing disease-free bananas and date palms to help Namibian farmers diversify their crops and get better yields.

AvaGro scooped the Master Crop Value Chain award as the Actor of the Year during the Namibian Agronomic Board's National Agronomy and Horticulture Awards Ceremony, held at Mashare in the Kavango East Region.

The Namibia Agronomic Board aims to capacitate local farmers to increase their yields and realise Namibia's food self-sufficiency. 

The National Democratic Party (NDP) is calling on the Namibian government to invest more in the agricultural sector to address poverty and unemployment.

The Gobabis Municipality has committed to providing 250 hectares of town land for agriculture to address food insecurity.

Japan's Ambassador to Namibia, Hisao Nishimaki, says he is impressed with the strides made by horticulture producers in the Kavango West Region. Japan has provided N$2 million to be used for horticulture-related training and equipment in the region.

There is a shortfall of about N$600 million to implement the Namibian government's drought relief programme.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila says the Disaster Risk Fund under her office only has about N$200 million, while the whole programme needs funding of up to N$800 million.