Staff Writer
The Agricultural Employers’ Association says participation in its 2026 Wage Survey remained low, with only 421 completed questionnaires submitted nationwide.
The submissions represent 20.3% of the Namibia Agricultural Union’s 2 075 main members.
Although the official closing date for submissions was 30 April 2026, the association said late forms were still accepted and are being processed as data capturing continues ahead of the final wage report.
The survey is used to assess wage trends in Namibia’s agricultural sector.
For the third consecutive survey cycle, a prize is being offered to the farmers’ association with the highest participation rate.
The award, sponsored by Cymot, is a centrifugal pump aimed at encouraging stronger participation.
Despite the incentive, overall participation remained low, with several farmers’ associations recording no submissions.
Regional participation differed widely across the country.
The South-Western region recorded a participation rate of 31.8%, while Keetmanshoop also recorded 31.8%.
Outjo recorded one of the higher participation rates at 35.5%.
Karasburg recorded 11.3%, Otjiwarongo stood at 13.6% and Gobabis recorded 16.7%.
At the association level, some areas recorded no submissions, including Gochas, Hardap, Hoërand, Groot Tsumis, Nauchas and Karibib.
Kalkrand recorded one of the highest participation rates at 96.3%.
Other strong participation levels included Kamanjab at 81.8% and Abenab at 57.1%.
Some larger associations recorded mixed results, with Windhoek at 14.7% and Okahandja at 34.6%.
The Agricultural Employers’ Association said it hopes participation will improve in the next survey cycle in 2028 to strengthen the reliability of wage data used for sector planning and analysis.
The association is an affiliate of the Namibia Agricultural Union and focuses on labour-related matters in the agricultural sector.
It also deals with human resource management issues in commercial agriculture at national, regional and farmers’ association levels.
The AEA established the Namibia Agricultural Retirement Fund for agricultural employees and conducts wage surveys every two years to support decision-making in the sector.
The association also introduced an HIV/AIDS policy for the commercial agricultural sector and is working on implementation manuals for members.
It further contributes to discussions around labour legislation and supports initiatives aimed at improving healthcare access and HIV/AIDS awareness for farm workers.
