Stimulating indigenous agribusiness development in the northern communal areas of Namibia : a concept paper

Some of these stem from past neglect and marginalization under apartheid, while others are due to environmental problems such as limited arable land, infertile soils, a fragile ecosystem, and erratic rainfall. Nonetheless, opportunities exist for promoting socioeconomic development by indigenizing both new and existing economic activities. This concept paper proposes market-driven options to take advantage of these opportunities. Specifically, it proposes and applies a model which details the pre-production, production, and marketing constraints in three subsectors with potential for indigenization: processing of pearl millet; horticulture; and provision of agribusiness inputs and services, including land tillage services. Possible interventions are recommended for each subsector, with stress on the potential for grassroots-led and -managed cooperatives to spur black empowerment in the agribusiness sector. Includes references.