The Etunda and Sikondo Green Scheme Irrigations, located in Omusati and Kavango East regions, were recognised for their excellence, winning top honours at the Namibia Agronomic Board's (NAB) National Agronomic and Horticulture Awards, held at Olushandja.
Etunda Green Scheme received an award as an Emerging Wheat Producer of the Year, while Sikondo Green Scheme walked away with an award for Outstanding Wheat Producer of the Year.
The award of Master Crop Value Chain went to Eric van Druuten; Outstanding Agronomy of the Year was scooped by Okaperuperu Farming; and Outstanding Horticulture Producer of the Year walked away with Green Crisp Farming.
Other winners were Johannes Amunyela, who won the Best Horticulture Producer of the Year; Bokomo Namibia was awarded Outstanding Grain Processor of the Year; and Chipalanga David Tuhafeni scooped Best Agronomy Youth Producer of the Year.
The event is hosted annually to celebrate and recognise outstanding achievements of value chain actors, among them producers, processors, traders, service providers, and school gardens.
The focus was on innovation, risk diversification, labour relations, and community involvement.
The occasion also saw the launch of the national drought support programme, where the Namibia Agronomic Board handed over a cheque of N$1 million for drought relief food to the office of the Prime Minister.
"This programme that we are launching is to complete those efforts of government just to support and enhance so that we can be able to reach more. The objective of this programme is to provide subsidies, certified seeds for white maize and mahangu, and fertiliser to the rain-fed surplus and commercial farmers affected by drought in the 2023-2024 planting season," said Dr. Fidelis Mwazi, the CEO of the NAB.
This year the event was held under the theme of enhancing food security amidst climate change challenges.
In a speech read on her behalf, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform's Executive Director, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, said the event did not only focus on awards but also reflected on the critical challenges that lie ahead of Namibia and the steps the country is taking to secure the nation's future.
"The situation is critical; as our population continues to grow, the demand for food will only increase. Yet without urgent and concerted action, we risk seeing a decline in agricultural productivity, which could lead to higher food prices, increased poverty, and greater food insecurity."
She said Namibia is among countries vulnerable to climate change, with increasing temperatures and more erratic rainfall affecting those who mostly depend on subsistence farming.