Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform
Also known as: MAFWLR · The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform
Namibian government ministry responsible for agriculture, fisheries, water, and land reform services, overseeing tractor maintenance, illegal fence removal, and satellite crop monitoring programmes.
Key points drawn from coverage. Tap a point to see the original sentence.
July 2026
The Namibian
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land ReformannouncedNamibia selected to host 2028 World Basin Summit
Source
“Her remarks come on the heels of a recent announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform that Namibia has been selected to host the 2028 World Basin Summit of the International Network Basins Organisation (Inbo).”
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reformreported98% urban and 83% rural safe water access
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“The presentation, delivered by acting deputy executive director for water resource management in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Maria Amakali, revealed that sanitation coverage stands at 60%.”
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reformsignedone-year agreement with 6th Grain Corporation
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“The one-year agreement, signed between the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform and the United States-based company, will introduce satellite imagery, remote sensing, geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence to monitor Namibia's staple crops, including mahangu, maize, sorghum, cowpea and wheat.”
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reformsaythe change will not affect how farmers identify or manage their animals
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“The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform and the Livestock and Livestock Products Board (LLPB) say the change will not affect how farmers identify or manage their animals.”
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reformhas asked the union to provide inputs onhow the fund should be implemented
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“NNFU chief executive Kuniberth Shamathe told The Namibian last week that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has asked the union to provide inputs on how the fund should be implemented.”
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reformwelcomedannouncement of Namibia hosting 2028 INBO World Basin Summit
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“The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform welcomed the announcement, which was made at the conclusion of the 2026 INBO World Basin Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.”
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reformprovides technical support during implementation of borehole drillingtechnical support during implementation of borehole drilling at schools
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“Muyunda said borehole drilling at schools is funded through MEIYSAC's budget, while the agriculture ministry provides technical support during implementation.”
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reformheldhorse mackerel and hake fish auctions on 22 May
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“The Ministry of Finance yesterday announced the results of the auctions the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform held on 22 May.”
A marine biodiversity consultant supports a Ministry of Agriculture official's view that more research is needed to understand ocean resources, noting that while some work has been done in Namibia on sensitive ocean areas, recommendations have not been followed up. A ministry director cited that only 10% of the ocean has been explored, and highlighted the growing ocean-based economy, including marine transport, tourism, fisheries, and renewable energy, alongside challenges such as plastic waste, illegal fishing, and climate change.
A marine biodiversity consultant supports a Ministry of Agriculture official's view that more research is needed to understand ocean resources, noting that while some work has been done in Namibia on sensitive ocean areas, recommendations have not been followed up. A ministry director cited that only 10% of the ocean has been explored, and highlighted the growing ocean-based economy, including marine transport, tourism, fisheries, and renewable energy, alongside challenges such as plastic waste, illegal fishing, and climate change.
The Namibian Chamber of Environment has urged the government to abandon the Kavango Link project, a decades-old plan to transfer water from the Kavango River to Windhoek and central areas, arguing it is environmentally unsustainable and could strain relations with Botswana. The chamber's chief executive Chris Brown warned that the river is already exploited by unmonitored green schemes and farms.
Residents of Maporeza informal location in Nkurenkuru, Kavango West, have petitioned the councillor for more boreholes to serve their growing population of about 3,000. A water pump station with three tanks has recently been installed, but residents say additional boreholes are still needed, and the area also requires electricity installation promised by September.
Namibia's ministry of agriculture is spending about N$8 million to service and repair 508 tractors ahead of the 2026/2027 rain-fed cropping season, which runs from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. The work covers 385 tractors requiring minor servicing and 112 requiring major repairs, with services to be conducted at agricultural development centres and technology centres across the country.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has allocated N$8 million to service and repair 508 tractors ahead of the 2026/27 rain-fed cropping season (scheduled from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027), with work to be carried out by qualified ministry-employed diesel mechanics across Agricultural Development Centres in 14 regions.
Namibia and the United States are strengthening cooperation in the livestock sector through a roadshow hosted by the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia and the Namibian Stud Breeders Association, seeking alternative sources of high-quality breeding stock and reproductive material as regional livestock disease outbreaks disrupt traditional supply chains.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform faces a shortage of 2,120 employees, leaving only 3,965 of 6,085 approved positions filled, creating obstacles to delivering agricultural, veterinary, land reform and water services.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has intensified a nationwide campaign to remove illegal fences erected on communal land, with operations underway in multiple regions since 2025. Since the start of 2025, twelve illegal fences covering approximately 6,914 hectares have been removed across Kavango East, Kavango West, and Omaheke regions, with further removals expected in Oshikoto and other communal areas.
The Namibian government's intensified removal of illegal fences on communal land upholds the rule of law and prevents privatisation of shared resources, but exposes a deeper governance challenge: how the country reached a point where central government must extensively intervene to enforce rules that should have been upheld by local institutions like traditional authorities and communal land boards.
The ministry of agriculture has expanded nationwide operations to dismantle illegal and unauthorised fences on communal land in collaboration with regional councils and traditional authorities, aiming to protect communal land rights and ensure equal access to grazing areas. The programme, underway in Omaheke, Kavango East, Kavango West, and Oshikoto, has removed several illegal fences, including five in Kavango East covering approximately 4,000.72 hectares.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services won the overall award at Nipam's second public sector awards ceremony in Windhoek, recognized for investing in professional development and employee capacity building. The ceremony also celebrated 38 public servants who completed Nipam's accredited management programmes at NQF levels 6, 7 and 8.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has admitted that 912 beneficiaries under the Government Employment Redress Programme are not actively employed, out of 2,255 total beneficiaries, following criticism from the Institute for Public Policy Research that the programme has failed to deliver meaningful employment for fisheries workers affected by the Fishrot corruption scandal.
The Kamutjonga Inland Fisheries Institute, located on the Kavango River in Kavango East Region, conducts scientific research, fish population monitoring and aquaculture development to ensure sustainable management of Namibia's freshwater resources. The institute, established in 2008 and now part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, focuses on freshwater fish communities, conservation and fisheries ecology to benefit current and future generations.
A N$39 million contract awarded to US agricultural technology company 6th Grain to implement an artificial intelligence-driven crop monitoring system for Namibia has sparked public debate over the procurement process and how the agreement was communicated, with the announcement made first by the US Embassy rather than the Namibian government.
The International University of Management's Institute of Water Resource Management says it can help Namibia address water management challenges and integrate knowledge-sharing as the country prepares to host the 2028 World Basin Summit of the International Network Basins Organisation.
About 300 Marco Fishing employees have been locked out after wage negotiations with the Namibia Food and Allied Workers Union reached deadlock. The company says it cannot meet union demands because average longline hake catches have declined by more than 45% over the past five years.
Namibia has achieved 98% access to safe water in urban areas and 83% in rural communities, though sanitation coverage stands at 60% and the country continues to face challenges in infrastructure renewal and financing. Proposed solutions include expanding water reuse, desalination projects, and groundwater development.
Namibia's government awarded a N$39.5 million contract to US company 6th Grain Corporation to use satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to monitor staple crops and improve food security, but analysts are calling for greater transparency, safeguards, and local participation in the one-year agreement.
American agricultural technology company 6th Grain Corporation has secured a US$2.4 million contract with Namibia's Ministry of Agriculture to deploy satellite-based crop monitoring and artificial intelligence technology supporting monitoring and management of staple crops including maize, mahangu, sorghum, cowpea and wheat. The one-year agreement includes real-time data services, crop health monitoring, production forecasts, drought risk assessments and technology transfer to government officials.
Livestock farmers will receive cattle ear tags with nine-digit identification numbers later this year, as the current supply of eight-digit numbers nears exhaustion. Existing tags will remain valid; only new tags will carry the additional digit.
Health minister Dr Esperance Luvindao announced that Namibia has met international criteria for ending the cholera outbreak after both Grootfontein and Opuwo health districts completed more than 28 days without a confirmed case. The outbreak, declared on 27 November 2025, resulted in 82 laboratory-confirmed cases out of 282 suspected cases and one death in Opuwo district.
The Namibian government and the Namibia National Farmers Union are working on a livestock price equalisation fund to address cattle marketing challenges in northern communal areas, which was approved by Cabinet in 2024 and aims to compensate farmers for disparities caused by animal disease status north of the veterinary cordon fence.
Namibia will host the 2028 International Network of Basin Organizations World Basin Summit in Windhoek, a selection that recognises the country's leadership in sustainable water management and positions it at the centre of international discussions on water security and climate resilience.
The Zambezi Communal Land Board has published 25 applications for customary land rights, occupational land rights and leasehold rights in the region, and invites written objections within seven days of publication. The applications include requests from individuals for farmland and residential use, and from schools, churches and public institutions for occupational land rights.
The agriculture ministry spokesperson said that the ministry does not decide which schools receive boreholes; that selection rests with the education ministry, which funds the programme while agriculture provides technical support during implementation.
The government auctioned quota for horse mackerel and hake fish on 22 May, raising N$68.4 million from the sale of 11,037 tonnes and 1,719 tonnes respectively. The auction showed improved prices with no unsold quota, receiving nine bids for horse mackerel and seven for hake.
Farmers in Hardap Region have received agricultural inputs, tools, and training through a Government of Namibia drought resilience project implemented with FAO and Japanese funding, helping them improve crop production, livestock management, and adapt to climate change.
Namibia's fishing industry has cautioned that the government's proposal to increase the bycatch levy from 15% to 50% could threaten company viability and lead to job losses and vessel shutdowns. The Namibian Hake Association warns the measure, combined with stricter bycatch thresholds and forfeiture provisions, would be punitive rather than corrective, and says the industry was not meaningfully consulted before the proposal reached Cabinet.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform denied reports claiming it deemed removal of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (Red Line) impossible, stating that gradual removal aligned with the Second National Land Conference resolution remains official policy, supported by investments in veterinary infrastructure and ongoing reviews of policy frameworks.
The Environmental Investment Fund has allocated N$6.4 million for water infrastructure projects in Oshikoto Region, including boreholes, pipeline rehabilitation, and a desalination plant, with construction expected to commence before the end of July 2026.