Why agriculture will fail

A concerned farmer writes:

The Namibian agriculture is the backbone of what we do, and let me explain.

While its contribution to GDP has been consistently declining, it is still the foundation of our society, directly or indirectly providing jobs to more than 130 000 Namibians (NSA figures). This figure however hides what impacts on the social benefits provided by agriculture. Yes, you will never become rich sitting on a remote farm in the Karas region, but with a bit of enthusiasm it does prevent you from starving on the streets of Windhoek. And I then also can’t help to wonder whether there is not some direct link between a failing agriculture and your most recent mass housing crisis in the major cities.

It is in this light that I remain amazed about the lightheartedness with which politicians are willing to put at risk the future of agriculture in this country by adopting policies which are plain and simply stupid, to say the least. Even if the policy is a bit sensible, then you lack any kind of capacity to implement anything within a reasonable time frame, making all good policy decisions also a complete waste of time.

But do not fear, as interestingly the minister of agriculture recently had great insight and declared the emerging farming model as a failure (one wonders why it took so long to realize that) and that predominantly because emerging farmers are not well qualified to do the job. And, to my great surprise, he also had the solution as to now call on those who know how to farm and pass their knowledge on. A similar message seems to have come from his PS recently who now believes the private sector to be the solution to all farming woes.

Let me ponder on this point for a moment. As a government you have been discriminating against commercial farmers for the last years and here are some great examples:

· Penalising commercial farmers (and not emerging) through land tax which, irrespective of the actual amount, is such an arbitrary process that the matter is now contested in court for the last years – no end in sight.

· Limiting the sale of land through a waiver system, making any commercial activity of buying or selling of land a gamble of epic proportions.

· Handing out farming land to your political friends backed by an Agribank slushing out state funds with very little chance of recovery – the impact being an ever increasing price of farm land.

· Exerting power over Meatco, disallowing producers their right to appoint a board and in effect alienating them so as to either exit cattle farming or seek alternative markets. Your political appointees are not known for their business acumen, but then, who needs skills.

· Letting rampant theft of livestock continue while creating more and more smallholdings that in effect no choice remains but to steal to survive. You are effectively taking away the base of livelihood for commercial farmers.

· Suggesting empowerment legislation which will further discriminate against those who actually contribute to the economy, in effect killing the golden goose by dumping it with a host of parasitical fleas adding no value at all.

· Ring-fencing of farming losses to make really sure that those who subsidised their loss-making farming by some other means, now finally also stop doing that.

And now, after all these wonderful examples of kicking the commercial farmers with your feet, the minister of agriculture has the cheek to ask the commercial farmers to educate those who will probably never want to farm? Your PS suggests getting private money to invest into farming which is a dead duck, as you will never make money?

And let me take away some of the excuses – Social upliftment is of the utmost importance, but can only be achieved by growing the overall economic pie and not by shrinking it and then trying to redistribute the remaining crumbs more evenly – after of course you financed the proverbial Benz.

But let me be positive and give you some suggestions on what to do:

· Subsidise all agricultural producers as to immediately curve the declining trend. And no, I am not in support of subsidies, but this is in all likelihood the only thing which on the short term can rescue agriculture.

· Get rid of the policies regarding redistribution of land and allow commercial farmers to buy, sell and lease land as their business model requires. Don’t like foreigners, so happy to stick to that part of the rules.

· Replace the land tax with a reward system. For all employees on a farm you will GIVE a subsidy as to keep them employed there.

· Reinsure all losses of stock at reasonable rate and introduce the “Castle doctrine” making the shooting of trespassers on private property a moral duty.

· Create more employment by restricting the export of live animals – permanently. Provide a system of support as to ensure that the Namibian farmer is guaranteed a minimum price. Rope in the abattoirs to fund this if their efficiency increases. The value added will easily pay for all the cost incurred if you consider the direct contribution of 7 000 per head of cattle for 300 000 animals exported in 2017.

· Let commercial farmers farm were ever it might be appropriate to farm, which means that land occupation rights in the most fertile northern area of the country need to be addressed as soon as possible.

But I guess this remains a wish list, and while you are stilling trying to coax the disappearing commercial farmer into solving your self-created problem, agriculture will die bit by bit, forcing people into cities. Here they will live with no hope, and while you drive past in your flashy black Benz, they start planning the next revolution that is sure to come.