Sostenus Wilherm
The government has extended the deadline for farmers applying to acquire agricultural equipment to 16 October 2026 following an overwhelming response from farmers across the country, according to the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform (MAFWLR).
The application process was initially scheduled to close at the end of September, but farmers from all 14 regions reportedly raised concerns that the original timeframe was too short.
MAFWLR acting executive director Petrus Nangolo said the extension was agreed upon to give more farmers an opportunity to participate.
“We are in agreement to extend to give people enough time, and then a new date when this process is expected to be completed is by the 16th of October 2026,” Nangolo said.
He urged interested farmers and regional structures to use the additional time to submit their applications and ensure the process is completed without further delays.
“I therefore want to encourage everyone who is interested in this process to make sure that they launch their application, including our region structures, to make sure that this process is complete as soon as possible,” he said.
The ministry’s extension comes as the government also moves to address concerns over the limited uptake of grain produced by local farmers during the previous harvesting season.
Nangolo said subsistence, small-scale and medium-scale grain producers had informed the government that they were struggling to find buyers for their produce.
In response, the government has made N$40 million available to increase the uptake of locally produced grain.
“I want to inform especially the farmers, subsistence farmers, and small-scale and medium farmers who are mainly grain producers,” Nangolo said.
He said farmers had raised concerns that “the uptake of the grain that was harvested from the previous wrapping season was not really very high.”
“And therefore, the government, through the ministry of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform and the ministry of finance, has made available an amount of N$40 million just to increase the uptake of the grain,” he said.
According to Nangolo, the information about the funding has not adequately reached producers, prompting the ministry to directly encourage farmers to make use of the available market-support mechanism.
“And it seems that this information is not cascaded to the producers of the farmers,” he said.
Nangolo urged farmers with grain to approach the Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA) or relevant agents to facilitate the sale of their produce.
“Therefore, we are informing our farmers that they need to approach Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA), a similar agent, to make sure that they sell their produce,” he said.
The government’s intervention comes as farmers prepare for the next agricultural season, with the measures aimed at improving access to agricultural equipment while supporting the market for locally produced grain.
The extension of the equipment application deadline is expected to provide farmers who had not completed their applications with additional time, while the N$40 million allocation is intended to help address the challenge of unsold grain from the previous season.
The ministry is encouraging farmers to engage with relevant marketing agencies to ensure available grain reaches the market instead of remaining unused or going to waste.
