Namibia needs to upscale local food production

Namibia needs to upscale its local food production, minister of industrialization and trade Lucia Iipumbu said Thursday.

Iipumbu made these remarks at the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) busines meeting, which aimed to bring business owners together to find ways to better the business industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The minister said upscaling of the local food production will help to ensure that money is kept in the communities, especially during hard times such as the Covid-19 pandemic. She added that the pandemic has proved that Namibians can produce products.

"During the Covid-19 pandemic, many Namibians have tapped into the entrepreneurship sector by producing their own products. Lately Namibia has seen a growth in the establishment of various local businesses such as fruit and vegetable gardens, fabric face masks, hand sanitizes, online music shows, online boutiques, food deliveries, amongst others," said Iipumbu.

To help upscale the local food production, the ministry has recently started an initiative giving training to vendors and building SMEs.

"The industry development in Namibia is slow. Namibians must not only produce products, but also export them. If we upscale the capabilities, in the end it will make a difference in our economy and reduce the country's poverty rate," she said.

The ministry is also working to make sure that locally-produced products find shelves space across the country, Iipumbu added. – Nampa/Xinhua