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Farming opportunities in Namibia present people with huge chances to start a highly profitable agribusiness. The agricultural sector is one of the biggest sectors in Namibia and it contributes millions of dollars to the Namibian GDP. Farming opportunities in Namibia also contribute to solving the countries food security problems and high unemployment challenges.
Traditionally the main farming opportunities in Namibia are livestock farming and crop farming, but as of date in 2024 newer farming opportunities in Namibia have emerged and are quickly becoming a booming industry within the agriculture sector. In this blog post, we will look at the newer farming opportunities in Namibia, their potential and challenges that they face.
5 Main Farming Opportunities in Namibia
Livestock Farming
This is the biggest industry creating the most revenue, from local purchases and mostly exports beyond the African continent. Cattle farming for Beef is the main farming opportunity that can make Namibian farmers the most money if all is done right. Goat and Sheep farming come in second for the most profitable and valuable livestock farming in Namibia.
Pig farming and rabbit farming are 2 of the booming farming opportunities that have a high potential of bringing in high revenue returns. With a fairly subtropical Namibian climate and just enough rainfall to cover the wide Namibian grazing lands, livestock farming presents Namibia with good farming opportunities.
Poultry Farming
With chicken meat and eggs being 2 of the most consumed food products in Namibia and the whole World, it is with no doubt that poultry farming is one of the best farming opportunities in Namibia. Most people assume that this industry is saturated, but that is not the case as Namibia still imports more than 30% of poultry products from South Africa, Zambia and other countries.
It should be said that this is a highly competitive industry and it can be very challenging especially for small farmers with low capital input and no distribution chain. Raw material inputs such as chicken feed can also be price sensitive and this can lead to fluctuations that can be challenging too.
Crop Farming
This is that farming industry that is not the most profitable in Namibia, it is not always price sensitive and at times it requires aa farmers to plant, harvest and sell in large volumes for them to make profits from other farming opportunities such as livestock and poultry farming. The main crops are maize, and grains such as pearl millet (Mahangu), sorghum and wheat.
With all that said it should be noted that during periods of low rainfalls and drought, such as the one being experienced in 2024, the price of these crops can spike up aggressively giving the farmer a very good opportunity to make a lot money.
Aquaculture
The Namibian coastline is well known for having some of the best fishing waters in the whole world, and the fishing industry contributes billions of dollars to the Namibian GDP due to the high sea fish exports. In this case we are talking about farming of fresh water fish, the likes of tilapia and catfish have gained a lot of traction within the fishing industry creating some of the best fish farming opportunities in Namibia.
These are great farming opportunities in Namibia because the fishing sector mainly prioritizes fish for exports, but the locals and inland citizens love some fresh water fish and this create an opportunity in the fish farming market.
Horticulture and Floriculture
The southern, central and northern areas in Namibia have ideal conditions for horticultural and floricultural. These regions are very good for the cultivation of apples, grapes, citrus fruits, blue berries and avocados, these are highly profitable for both the local and international markets.
With examples of newly opened farms like the Roots Apple’s Project Farm in the south reporting estimates of about 4.8 million in revenue from 50 tons for the year 2022 and Mashare Blue Berries Project Farm in the northern Kavango East region harvesting more than 350 tons of blue berries in 2021. These examples show us that these are highly profitable farming opportunities in Namibia.
Investment opportunities in flower farms and orchards are presented by Namibia’s favorable temperature and soil characteristics, which are favorable for the production of premium fruits and flowers.
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