The government of Namibia has established the Namibia Chamber of Agriculture to offer a united voice and central contact during policy dialogues with the government and other stakeholders.
NCA said the chamber, will champion viable and smart integrated and holistic agricultural value chains. Approximately 35 organisations have indicated an interest in becoming members of the chamber, said the statement.
Constitution
“This milestone was finally reached as one of the outcomes of the Agriculture Conference held in September 2020,” said the statement.
In the aftermath of the conference, there were a series of events including meetings and task force committees which drove the discussions around the chamber’s objectives, functions and operations.
At its establishment, members of the chamber discussed and adopted a constitution, approved the business plan and elected the board represented across value chains – producers, material and financial input suppliers, traders, processors, agricultural civil society, academia and research institutions.
Michael Iyambo was elected the acting chairperson of the board, and in addition there are three permanent advisers, nominated by the state-owned enterprise regulatory board. A secretariat will be responsible for the day-to-day activities of the chamber, the statement said. Membership to the chamber is still open and the NCA invites more industry players to join.
“The chamber will provide well researched and widely consulted inputs into relevant policy documents, guide sustainable and inclusive sectoral development and facilitate access to mentorship and training,” said Iyambo.
