Agribank scooped the prestigious Golden Arrow Award at the annual PMR Africa awards held in Windhoek on Monday. Awarded in the Leaders and Achievers – Agricultural Finance category, the award was given to Agribank for being one of the companies and institutions doing the most in their sectors over the past 12 months to stimulate the economic growth and development of Namibia. Agribank achieved a rating of excellent as determined by a random, national sample of respondents comprising chief executive officers, managing directors, business owners, company directors, managers and senior government officials based in Namibia.

Commenting on the award, Agribank CEO Sakaria Nghikembua expressed appreciation for the award noting that the Bank continues to make transformational in-roads in a very difficult operating environment. “As a Bank, we need to be resilient in the most testing of times, ensure financial sustainability and demonstrate exemplary corporate governance whilst making sure that we serve our mandate, that of being the catalyst for the transformation of the agricultural sector,” stated Nghikembua.

The vision, integrity, values and competence and empathy that contribute to ethical and sustainable business practices are measured meticulously. PMR Africa conducts a survey annually to measure companies, institutions, government entities and individuals on their contribution to the economic growth and development of the country, levels of management expertise, implementation of corporate governance and levels of innovation.

The PMR Africa awards are considered as the equivalent of the “Corporate Oscars” in Namibia. Corporate heavyweights rubbed shoulders at a business breakfast in Windhoek on Monday whilst waiting with bated breath as their ratings on various key performance indicators by fellow professionals were revealed. Through the awards, PMR Africa acknowledges contributions, initiatives, strategies, efforts and hard work of corporates in Namibia. The awards are aimed at, amongst others, enhancing excellence, setting a bench mark in the industry and acknowledging the contributions of businesses and employees.

Issued by:
Sakaria Nghikembua
Chief Executive Officer

For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division at:
Tel.: 061 2074332
Fax: 061 2074206

Namibia’s vice president, Dr Nangolo Mbumba, visited Agribank last week as part of his familiarisation journey to key state-owned enterprises. Dr Mbumba met with the board and senior management before touring the Agribank building and meeting with staff members on the first and Midland branch floors.

During his welcoming remarks, board chairperson Michael Iyambo noted that the visit comes at a difficult time for the economy in general and agricultural industry in particular, especially given the prolonged economic downturn and unpredictable weather cycles. Iyambo was however optimistic that such conditions also present opportunities for the bank. “What we need as a nation is upright leadership, closer synergies among key stakeholders, innovation and diversification and most importantly the urge to take important decisions and actions” he concluded.

At the occasion, Agribank chief executive officer Sakaria Nghikembua presented an overview of the bank’s mandate, its product portfolio as well as challenges and opportunities the bank is facing, and how these are being dealt with. Nghikembua emphasised that Agribank has an important role to play in the land reform process in the country, adding the bank requires support of all stakeholders to effectively and sustainably deliver on its mandate.

On his part, Dr Mbumba expressed appreciation for the visible synergy and teamwork demonstrated by the bank’s board and senior management in the process leading up to his visit and during the visit itself. The vice president noted that farmland prices are skyrocketing and that a sustainable solution is required through a multi-stakeholder approach. He further called upon Agribank to finance value-adding industries, such as the abattoirs in communal areas in order to alleviate the urban migration challenge. He added that the dynamics of farming have changed and thus farmers need continuous training and mentorship to succeed. “You cannot live in a modern economy without sufficient preparation and requisite knowledge”, he concluded.

Issued by:

Sakaria Nghikembua
Chief Executive Officer
For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division at:
Tel.: 061 2074332
Fax: 061 2074206

As the year draws to a close, we reflect on its highlights and anticipate the future. This has been a tough year – one that tested our resilience as a country. The Namibian economy stretched further into a technical economic depression that started in 2016. Since then the economy has registered nine consecutive quarters of negative growth, from 0.9 percent in the second quarter of 2016 to 0.2 percent in the second quarter of 2018. This is the first time that Namibia has experienced such a contraction episode since independence, largely driven by weak performance in the construction, manufacturing, wholesale and retail sectors. In our assessment, the current state of the economy is an outcome of a tight fiscal environment, underscored by sluggish household spending.
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Primary agricultural output, which has historically supported the domestic economy, has surprised on the downside. The sector recorded growth of 1.4 percent and -1.1 percent in the first and second quarters of 2018, respectively, in contrast to the impressive growth of 16.5 percent and 21.2 percent recorded in the corresponding quarters of 2017. The minimal growth in the agricultural sector somewhat reflects that favourable prices and trading conditions observed in 2018 could not sustain agricultural output due to the dominance of supply side constrains over demand forces.
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The surge in livestock producer prices in 2018 did not attract higher off-take rates as farmers largely focused on herd re-building, resulting in limited marketing stock being made available. Furthermore, the macroeconomic environment has been less supportive of the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.
Specifically, the Namibia Dollar plummeted against the US Dollar by about 7 percent (y-o-y), resulting in a production cost squeeze.
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Looking to the future, Namibia’s real GDP growth is expected to marginally improve from a negative growth of 0.9 percent in 2017 to 0.6 percent and 1.9 percent in 2018 and 2019, respectively (BoN, July 2018). The mining and quarrying, electricity, water, transport and communication sectors are expected to support growth, complemented by a renewed focus on fiscal support to strategic sectors. Headline inflation is likely to average 4.3 percent this year, before increasing further to 5.7 percent and 5.4 percent in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Risks to the growth outlook are slow growth and political dynamics in our major trading partners, slow recovery of commodity prices, US policy uncertainty and sluggish domestic consumer spending.
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Local meteorological experts predict that the 2018/19 rainy season will receive normal to below normal rainfall in most parts of the country. Given this forecast, we are concerned about the intensity and distribution of rainfall and the subsequent impact these twin developments might have on our customers.
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The Namibian economy is faced with structural and climatic challenges. We need to embrace technology to increase production in the primary production and manufacturing sectors through backward and forward linkages. We believe that, policy-wise, these should be the key investment priority areas for the public and private sectors for the economy to rebound onto a sustainable growth path.
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Agribank endured a tough economic environment, too. However, the Bank continued to support the agricultural sector through financial and advisory services. We see greater scope for Agribank to contribute to the economic development and betterment of the Namibian society. Towards that end, we strive to be the pillar that investors in the agricultural sector lean towards to grow their businesses.
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In the midst of all this, we still see a promising agricultural sector provided it can embrace climate and economic-resilient strategies such as on-farm diversification, effective and on-time marketing and de-stocking, and the use of technology to enhance production. Aligning ourselves to the national strategic plans, the Bank will continue to support the agricultural sector through strategic interventions in the form of financial inclusion, sustainable lending practices, effective loan collections, stringent risk management and stakeholder partnerships.

Issued by:
Sakaria Nghikembua Chief Executive Officer

For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division at:
Tel.: 061 2074332
Fax: 061 2074206

Interest rates for some Agribank products will see a modest increase of 0.75 percent (75 basis points) effective 1 December 2018. The salary backed no collateral loan product will increase with 1 percent (100 basis points). Notwithstanding the increase in some products, the Government subsidised interest rates will remain unchanged at 4 percent, while penalty interest rate on arrear balances are unchanged at 2 percent. Overall, the Bank’s interest rates remain competitive relative to the market.

Subsidised loans are loans to communal farmers under the National Agricultural Credit Programme (NACP) and resettled farmers under the Post Settlement Support Fund (PSSF). The NACP was established in 1995 for communal farmers to access credit in order to increase food production and become surplus producers, create jobs and alleviate the cycle of poverty. It also serves as a preparatory stage for small scale farmers in communal areas before they could be considered to qualify for the purchase of commercial farmland under the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS).

In a seamless transition which represents change with continuity, Minister of Finance Calle Schlettwein recently appointed a new Board of Directors for Agribank. The new Board’s term runs from 1 September 2018 to 31 August 2021. The new Board is led by Michael Iyambo as Chairperson, with Dagmar Honsbein as Deputy Chairperson. Honsbein also chairs the Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee (FRACC). Other members of the five-member Board are Dr Michael Humavindu, who chairs the Credit and Investment Committee (CIC), Phanuel Kaapama who chairs the Human Resources Committee (HRC) and Peyavali Hangula. Hangula serves on the Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance as well as the Human Resources Committees.

Two of the previous directors, namely former Board Chairperson Terttu Uuyuni and Oiva Mahina, who chaired the Human Resources Committee, retired from the Board and were not available for re-appointment after serving on the Board for eight and six years, respectively. Following is a brief profile of each of the new Agribank board members;

Michael Iyambo is a knowledgeable and successful commercial farmer, with a focus on horticulture. Iyambo’s successful farming business resulted in him receiving the following awards: Namibia Business Awards’ Award for Excellence (2011), Large Scale Horticulture Producer of the Year (2014), Freshmark Supplier of the Year (2016); and his appointment as the Chairman of the National Horticultural Task Team, Vice Chairman of the Karst Area Horticultural Association as well as Vice Chairman of the Potatoes and Onions Producers Association (Namibia). Iyambo was recently appointed as Chairperson of the Namibia Agronomic Board. His knowledge about the industry, and sound business acumen, provide for optimum advice on credit analysis. In addition to the Board chairmanship, Iyambo serves on the Credit and Investment Committee of the Board.




Dagmar Honsbein has fundamental and practical insights in value chain management as well as financial systems and resources mobilisation for development. She is equally comfortable in providing professional services at policy and grassroots levels. Her extensive knowledge in the productive sectors are invaluable as the Bank gears itself to serve its clients and respond to their needs in an ever-changing agricultural environment. Honsbein is a fellow in International Marketing from Reutlingen University in Germany and holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and Applied Sciences from Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom; as well as a Master in Leadership in Development Finance, from Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, Germany and a BSc in Wood Engineering from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. She is a Certified Expert in Microfinance, SME Finance and Climate and Renewable Energy Finance, as well as Financial and Managerial Accounting. In addition to chairing the Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee, Honsbein also serves on the Human Resources Committee. With her husband, she farms commercially in the Khomas region.

Dr Michael Humavindu boasts a strong academic and professional background in economic research and modelling, industrialization, MSME development and development banking. Dr Humavindu spent eight years in development finance at the Development Bank of Namibia (DBN), where he worked on project finance, deal structuring, credit assessments, and the design of policies such as the Microfinance Policy and Development Impact Framework. Presently a Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME Development, Dr Humavindu is optimally positioned to lead discussions and test the Bank’s policies against the fiscal space, sustainable finance and the country’s economic agenda. Dr Humavindu holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Umeä, an MSc in Finance and Investments from the University of Durham, United Kingdom, an MA in Economics from the University of Stellenbosch, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Economics from the University of London, United Kingdom. He chairs the Board’s Credit and Investment Committee and serves on the Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee.He is a Trainer of Trainers in Investment Appraisal as well as a Certified Development Banker. Dr Humavindu is an emerging communal farmer in the Otjozondjupa Region.

Peyavali Hangula is a Chartered Accountant in Namibia and South Africa, registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Namibia (ICAN). She holds an Honours Bachelor of Accounting Science (CTA) from the University of South Africa (UNISA) and a Bachelor Degree in Accounting from the University of Namibia (UNAM). She completed her articles with Deloitte Namibia and thereafter was seconded to work for Deloitte in Atlanta, USA, for a period of 6 months to gain international experience in the field of auditing. Hangula’s work experience in the financial environment spans over a period of ten years. She possesses a wide range of skills in the areas of accounting, financial reporting, corporate governance, internal controls; external and internal audits a well as in regulatory reporting. Hangula has worked for Standard Bank of Namibia as a Financial Reporting Manager and as a Regulatory Manager. She now works for FirstRand Namibia as a Manager: Finance. Part of her community outreach involves serving as the National Treasurer and Chairperson of the Finance Committee of Scouts of Namibia. Hangula serves on the Finance, Risk, Audit and Compliance Committee, as well as the Human Resources Committee.

Phanuel Kaapama is employed at the University of Namibia (UNAM) as a Lecturer for Governance and Development Studies, where he is also serving as the current Head of the Department of Political and Administrative Studies. He holds a National Diploma in Public Administration from the Polytechnic of Namibia, as well as an MSc. in Development, Planning and Administration from the University of Bristol (UK). His research interest revolves generally around issues of development theory and practice. He regularly gives media commentaries on Namibian, African and world politics; and has published a number of academic papers. Prior to joining the academia in the year 2000, he worked for the National Planning Commission (NPC) as Namibia National Coordinator, Capacity Building for Economic Management Programme on secondment from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Windhoek. From 1997 - 1998 he worked for the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) as the Head of the Policy and Advocacy Department. His first formal job was as the Founding Secretary General of the National Youth Council of Namibia from 1994 – 1997. Kaapama was part of the
High - Level Committee for the Preparation of the 2nd National Land Conference and is also a member of both the Technical Committee and Negotiating Team in the Bilateral Negotiation with the Federal Republic of Germany on 1904 Genocide, Apology and Reparation. He also boasts extensive farming experience in both communal and commercial agricultural sectors. Kaapama Chairs the Human Resources Committee and also serves on the Credit and Investment Committee.

Commenting on the new Board, Agribank chief executive officer, Sakaria Nghikembua, stated: ‘We are excited about the new Board. It’s a good story of change with continuity. This is a solid Board with experienced individuals who have established track records. It’s the type of people we should be having on Boards of public enterprises for progress. The appointing authority has done an excellent job here’.

Issued by:
Sakaria Nghikembua
Chief Executive Officer

For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division at:
Tel.: 061 2074332
Fax. 061 2074206

Agribank advanced N$358 million worth of new loans in the financial year ended 31 March 2018, up 18% on N$304 million in the prior year. This was one of the many achievements highlighted by the bank’s chief executive officer, Sakaria Nghikembua, at the bank’s annual general meeting held on 26 September 2018. The bank also received a clean bill of health, receiving an unqualified audit from its external auditors for the year. This achievement followed intensive clean-up by the bank, after a qualified audit in the year ended 31 March 2017 because of legacy issues related to collateral securities records. Agribank is one of few public enterprises in Namibia which produce audited annual financial statements within six months of financial year-end.

At the occasion, Nghikembua informed stakeholders that the bank delivered on most of the promises made at the last annual general meeting, despite a difficult operating environment. He revealed that the bank grew its loan book by 6% year-on-year, from N$2.61 billion in 2017 to N$2.77 billion in 2018. Interest income on loan advances grew by a somewhat slower 4%, from N$167.5 million in 2017 to N$173.7 million in 2018. The slower growth in interest income, compared to the loan book growth, was as a result of the bulk of the disbursements for new loans occurring only in the last five months of the financial year. According to Nghikembua, the bank recorded a N$29.8 million overall surplus for the year. Whilst this remains a positive achievement, an increase in provisions for bad debts on loans advanced reduced the surplus level compared to the N$99 million achieved in the prior year. This is because the level of arrears remains relatively high.
The Agribank chief also noted that the bank had made good progress in slowing down the rate of increase in operational expenses over the past three years, moving from an annual increase of 17% in FY 2015/16 to 11.3% in FY 2016/17 and 7.5% in FY 2017/18.

According to Nghikembua, the biggest portion of the new loans went to farmland purchases, followed by large stock loans, consolidation of debt and seasonal production loans. The Khomas region received the highest allocation of loans at N$61 million, closely followed by Otjozondjupa (N$60 million), Hardap (N$40 million), Omaheke (N$39 million), with Oshikoto (N$31 million) completing the top five regions for collateral-backed loan disbursements. In contrast, the Zambezi region received the highest disbursements for the newly introduced no-collateral loan product at N$6.5 million, followed by Omaheke (N$3.9 million), Kavango (N$2.7 million), Oshana (N$2.6 million) and Ohangwena (N$2.4 million) respectively. In total, N$26 million worth of no-collateral loans were disbursed during the financial year. The bank has experienced more impressive growth in this loan product subsequent to financial year-end.

Statistics revealed at the AGM further show that the youth (up to age 40) received 27% of the total new loan funding from Agribank, while 36% of the funding went to people within the age group 41 – 60. The balance went to either clients above the age of 60 years or to registered legal entities.

“As a member of the Association of African Development and Finance Institutions, we rate ourselves in three core areas of governance guidelines, financial prudential standards and operational guidelines and I am pleased to announce that Agribank obtained an overall score of 78.4% in 2018, compared to 77.2% 2017”, Nghikembua stated, adding “this score is reviewed annually by our external auditor and has significantly improved from 64% in 2015/16 to current levels. The improvement means that the bank has been consistently enhancing its operational efficiencies, governance standards and financial management policies and practices”.


Nghikembua was also upbeat that the bank continues to make a consistent developmental impact in up-skilling and building capacity of farmers, noting that more than 5,000 farmers benefitted from the bank’s advisory services during the year through training, mentorship, lectures and farmers information days. “We need to assist more emerging farmers gain skills and knowledge to improve their productivity, increase production, employ more people and contribute to economic expansion”, Nghikembua enthused.

Meanwhile, he reiterated that the bank has to manage a tight liquidity situation because of the high level of arrears and declining treasury transfers, specifically over the past three years. The high cost of funding when raising capital in the market is another challenge that is likely to impact on the developmental mandate of the bank as its interest rates will require on-going upward reviews. Nghikembua however expressed confidence that these challenges can be addressed through a prudent mix of funding sources to keep Agribank lending rates affordable and sustainable in the long-term.

At the occasion, Dr Michael Humavindu, who chaired the AGM, stated that the bank has covered significant ground in creating a platform to make a meaningful contribution to the economy. “We are on course to play our part fully in the economy. As we do so, we remain grateful for the shareholder’s support and that of our other strategic stakeholders”, stated Dr Humavindu. He added that although the bank is facing liquidity constraints, it is implementing different strategies to alleviate liquidity pressure in the short-term and eliminate it in the long term. “We have continued our efforts to ensure financial sustainability. Collection efforts continue, despite all the odds, and we are on a trajectory to grow the loan book through new business”, he stated.

On his part, Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein, commended the bank for its efforts to diversify its loan book, noting that the bank plays an important role in the land reform process. According to the Minister, Agribank’s role is to service the agricultural sector in order to realise its optimal potential to create jobs, improve productive capacity and create wealth. Whilst commending the introduction of the agro-processing loan product, the Finance Minister also encouraged the bank to further develop financial products that will create value chains other than livestock and horticulture. Schlettwein further pledged his support to the bank, as it strives to fulfil its mandate in the land reform process in the country.

The Agribank AGM was attended by the shareholding Minister, Agribank board members and management as well as senior officials from the Ministries of Finance and Public Enterprises.

Issued by:

Sakaria Nghikembua
Chief Executive Officer

For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division at:
Tel.: 061 2074332
Fax. 061 2074206

Two Agribank-financed farms will be auctioned on Friday, 27 July 2018. Both farms are in Otjozondjupa region and have already been advertised in local newspapers. The auctions follow hot on the heels of an announcement by the Bank that it had moved from a soft to a hard collections approach. Commented Sakaria Nghikembua, Agribank's chief executive officer "This is a last resort for us. There is no other option but to execute on the auction. The only thing that can stop the process now is payment of the arrears by the clients before the auction date. In the absence of that, the process will go through to the end".

Nghikembua added that these two auctions should not be seen in isolation but as part of an ongoing series. He emphasised that if clients persistently fail to honour their loan repayment commitments, the Bank will dutifully follow the same route. He added that the Bank had not only geared its internal structures to implement recovery strategies much faster than in the past but has also bolstered its collections efforts by recently adding new law firms to its legal collections panel.

Nghikembua once again appealed to clients to act before it is too late, saying "if a client waits until they are listed or until we have a judgement against them, it is too late. The best is to avoid these two situations by making repayment commitments and making every effort to honour such commitments".

Issued by:
Mr Sakaria Nghikembua
Chief Executive Officer

For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division at:
Tel.: 061 2074332
Fax.: 061 2074206

In 2015, Agribank announced that it will launch a no-collateral loan product for full-time communal farmers. In response to the announcement, many farmers submitted their applications. Following a period of refinement which resulted in delays, the bank is pleased to announce that approvals for ERFP loans have commenced, with over N$1.2 million worth of loans having already been approved. The bank currently has loans worth N$25 million on its applications shortlist. These loans are at various stages of credit appraisal. The bank introduced the ERFP in response to market demand for collateral-free products for full time communal farmers. The newly approved ERFP loans were re-appraised against criteria set after a comprehensive review to ensure that adequate risk mitigating measures were put in place for this product.

Agribank wishes to inform the public that priority is first being placed on previous applicants, whose applications are being re-appraised anew to determine viability. Once the bank has dealt with the existing shortlist, it will then invite new applications for this product. Says Sakaria Nghikembua, chief executive officer of Agribank: ‘we are quite excited that this product is back on track following comprehensive review. In the interim, we had introduced the salary-backed no-collateral loan product which is doing very well. The ERFP takes care of communal farmers who do not have full time employment and also have no tangible collateral to offer against their loans. This is yet a further way in which we continue to catalyse the transformation of agriculture in Namibia’.

Issued by:
Sakaria Nghikembua
Chief Executive Officer

For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division at:
Tel.: 061 2074332
Fax: 061 2074206

Over past 18 months, Agribank has requested defaulting clients to make repayment arrangements to settle their arrears. Some clients have heeded this call and have continued to honour their arrangements. Others have made arrangements and failed to honour them. And yet others have made no arrangements and no payments, ostensibly on the mistaken understanding that, being a state-owned bank, Agribank will not repossess their farms. The Bank wants to place on record that it is not its objective to auction any farms except as a last resort.

However, the bank believes that it has allowed for sufficient time to sensitise its clients about the imperative for them to honour their repayment obligations. The bank further believes that it has sufficiently indulged its clients not only to make appropriate repayment arrangements but also to honour such arrangements.

Agribank wishes to inform its clients that it is intensifying its efforts to move from soft to hard collections. This means clients not honouring their commitments will be listed on credit bureaus more swiftly whilst those persistently failing to honour their commitments will have legal action taken against them. A number of files have already been handed over to lawyers for legal action in this regard. The process has also been tightened to ensure that the bank takes legal action against defaulting clients more swiftly than in the past.

Against this background, Agribank once again appeals to its clients to ensure that they pay their instalments when due to prevent arrears; and in the event where a client is already in arrears, to make and honour repayment arrangements to prevent legal action, default judgement and auctioning of their farms.

The sustainability of the bank depends on regular and adequate repayments by clients on loans advanced to them. In the absence of such commitment, the bank will not be able to fulfil its mandate to provide loan financing to existing and new customers to transform agriculture.

Issued by:
Mr Sakaria Nghikembua
Chief Executive Officer

For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communication Division at:
Tel.: 061 2074332
Fax.: 061 2074206

Agribank has opened a new office in Gobabis in the Omaheke region this week. The office is situated in the Old Mutual Building in River Street and will serve clients in the entire Omaheke region.

Speaking at the official inauguration ceremony, Agribank chairperson Terttu Uuyuni stated that the Omaheke region plays an important role in contributing to the Bank’s loan book. “In the 2017/2018 financial year, Agribank recorded new business of over N$357 million of which the Omaheke region contributed N$40 million representing 11% of new business. This illustrates that Gobabis is a strategic growth centre for Agribank and we are confident that opening an office here will not only bring our services in town, but will create opportunities for Agribank’s growth”, Uuyuni enthused.

As part of its socio-economic transformation pillar of the strategic plan, Agribank provides training and mentorship services to farmers through the Agri-Advisory Services Division. During the 2017 – 2018 financial year, Agribank conducted 17 such interventions in 13 different locations in the Omaheke region, targeting both communal and commercial farmers. These interventions include farmers’ information days, evening lectures, short training courses, practical sessions and excursions which covered topics such as record keeping, animal health, as well as financial and grazing management. The Agribank chairperson was pleased “that 461 people benefitted from these interventions in the Omaheke region alone of which 329 were male, while 132 participants were female”.

At the same occasion, Finance Minister Calle Schlettwein, who officially inaugurated the Agribank Gobabis office, congratulated the Bank for expanding its footprint to strategic growth centres and bringing its services closer to their clients. The Finance minister also applauded the Bank for embarking upon the arrear collections strategy as part of its financial sustainability initiatives. “Gone are the days where treasury support to state owned enterprises went unchecked. In fact, going forward, Government will require commercial public entities to become self-sustainable although shareholder support can still be granted where necessary”, the Minister noted. Schlettwein further urged Agribank to continue to introduce new products that are responsive to the needs of the clients to accelerate the transformation of the agricultural sector.

Agribank loans can be utilized for purchasing farm land, production, livestock, farming infrastructure, vehicles and equipment, bush management, aquaculture, poultry, piggery, post settlement support as well as for value addition through agro-processing.

Issued by:
Sakaria Nghikembua
Chief Executive Officer

For enquiries, kindly contact the Marketing and Communications Division at:
Tel.: 061 2074332/Fax.: 061 2074206