New agri-food strategy targets 6% annual growth, aims to double sector’s GDP contribution by 2030

Staff Reporter

THE Government’s new Strategy for the Transformation of the Agri-food Sector (STAS) aims to double agriculture’s contribution to Namibia’s economy by 2030 by driving annual sector growth of at least 6%, expanding local food production, boosting value addition and attracting greater private sector investment.

The Strategy for the Transformation of the Agri-food Sector (STAS) 2025/26–2030/31 serves as Government’s economic roadmap to revitalise an industry whose contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) has declined from around 8% in 2006 to approximately 3.5% in 2020.

Central to the strategy is the commercialisation of agriculture through increased productivity, agribusiness development and value addition.

One of the key priorities is unlocking the economic potential of the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs), which are home to an estimated 1.6 million cattle but contribute relatively little to the national agricultural economy.