Namibia’s growing agricultural partnership with China and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is beginning to deliver tangible results for local farmers, particularly in poultry production, skills development, and food security initiatives.
The collaboration took center stage during a recent visit by Namibian and Chinese officials to the Tsumis Arid Zone Agricultural Center (TAZAC) in Namibia’s Hardap Region, where Chinese agricultural specialists are working alongside local farmers and technicians under the China-FAO-Namibia South-South Cooperation project.
Officials involved in the initiative say the program is helping strengthen Namibia’s agricultural capacity through technical training, mentorship, and practical demonstrations designed to improve productivity and sustainability in rural communities.
“Agriculture remains a priority sector,” said Alfred Sikopo, acting executive director at Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, according to a ministry statement. He noted that agricultural centers such as TAZAC are expected to play a key role in strengthening food and nutrition security through farmer-focused technical support and training programs.
Under the project, more than 120 farmers and agricultural staff have already received training in areas including poultry biosecurity, chick brooding, poultry feed management, egg incubation, and composting techniques using chicken manure.
TAZAC currently operates a poultry facility housing more than 1,000 chickens used for both meat and egg production, creating a practical learning environment for local producers seeking to modernize small-scale poultry farming systems.
The second phase of the China-FAO-Namibia South-South Cooperation initiative officially began in September 2024 and is expected to continue through 2026. The program deploys Chinese agricultural experts and technicians to Namibia to provide technical assistance in poultry farming, aquaculture, seed production, soil fertility management, and plant protection.
According to Namibia’s agriculture ministry, FAO Namibia has also contributed poultry production equipment and materials worth approximately 133,000 Namibian dollars (around 7,300 U.S. dollars) to support activities at the center.
The cooperation forms part of a broader China-FAO South-South Cooperation framework that has supported agricultural development projects across Africa for decades. China has remained one of FAO’s largest contributors to South-South agricultural cooperation, funding projects focused on food production, rural livelihoods, agricultural technology transfer, and farmer training in multiple African countries.
Beyond poultry production, previous China-supported agricultural initiatives in Namibia have included assistance in seed development, irrigation systems, plant protection, and livestock management. Earlier FAO-China cooperation programs also helped strengthen Namibia’s agricultural quarantine and export standards, particularly in relation to beef exports and agricultural trade systems.
The latest cooperation effort aligns closely with Namibia’s Sixth National Development Plan and President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah’s broader agenda to improve food security, agricultural productivity, and rural economic resilience. Officials say the government plans to transform agricultural centers into fully-fledged training institutions by 2027, potentially opening the door for expanded technical cooperation with China in the coming years.
China and Namibia maintain longstanding bilateral relations that extend beyond agriculture into infrastructure, mining, energy, education, healthcare, and trade cooperation. In recent years, agricultural modernization has increasingly emerged as a strategic area of collaboration as African governments seek to reduce food imports and strengthen domestic production capacity.
Analysts say the Namibia-China-FAO partnership reflects a broader shift toward skills-based agricultural cooperation across Africa – one focused less on short-term aid and more on technical transfer, local capacity building, and sustainable rural development.
For many farmers in Namibia’s arid regions, the initiative represents more than training sessions and poultry facilities. It signals a growing effort to build long-term agricultural resilience in a country where climate pressures and food insecurity continue to challenge rural livelihoods.
