Statistics released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) showed that the country’s agricultural production slumped by 57% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter last year.
The NSA indicated that the decline in agricultural production is attributed to white maize and millet, which recorded negative growths of 56.7% and 75.4%, respectively.
There was no production of wheat during the review period.
NSA’s Miriam Shihepo said, “During the third quarter of 2024, production of controlled agronomy stood at 8,571 tonnes compared to 19,940 tonnes recorded in the same quarter of 2023, translating to a decline of 57.0%.”
Imported agricultural products increased from N$415.5 million in the third quarter of 2023 to N$717.8 million in the third quarter of 2024.
Fish products generated N$3.6 billion in export revenue, a 6.6% increase over N$3.4 billion earned in the third quarter of 2023.
Meanwhile, the import bill for fish products declined from N$130.5 million in the third quarter of 2023 to N$93.5 million in the third quarter of 2024.
In the third quarter of 2024, the country exported horticultural products valued at N$242.9 million, a slight improvement compared to the export value of N$241.7 million in the same quarter of 2023.
Tomatoes were the most exported products, with an export value of N$94.6 million during the review year, while dates and onions ranked second and third, valued at N$43.2 million and N$42.2 million, respectively.
South Africa was the main export destination for horticultural products, accounting for 69%, followed by Angola and Germany.
Imported horticultural products were valued at N$304.8 million in the third quarter of 2024, an increase from N$256.3 million recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2023.
The highest imported products included spices and aromatic crops with an import value of N$71.3 million, followed by potatoes at N$42.2 million, apples at N$31.8 million, vegetable seeds (except beet seeds) at N$18.2 million, and tea leaves at N$15.7 million.
Most of these products were sourced from South Africa.