The Namibian Agronomic Board is a statutory body which came into existence in Namibia in 1985 and is governed by the Agronomic Industry Act, Act 20 of 1992. The Board consists of 13 members representing different organizations within the agronomy and horticulture industry in Namibia.

The NAB is mandated to promote the agronomic industry and facilitate production, processing, storage and marketing of controlled agronomy and horticulture products in Namibia through market regulation. The NAB is tasked to do the following functions as per the Agronomic Industry Act, Act No. 20 of 1992;

• to carrying out research in the improvement of production, preservation, preparation, processing, storage and or marketing of agronomic and horticultural crop;
• to engage in activities that will foster and improve the market for agronomic and horticulture crops (controlled products) in Namibia or elsewhere;
• to establish an information service for the agronomic and horticulture industry in Namibia with a view to providing information, guidance’ and advice to producers and traders of agronomic and horticulture products (controlled) and other interested parties;
• to co-operate with any other body involved in the marketing and distribution of controlled product; and
• prohibit the importation into or exportation from Namibia, of a controlled product except by the Board or a holder of a permit issued by the Board and in accordance with the conditions specified in the permit;
• to register any person on application in the prescribed form, as a producer and trader of an agronomic and horticulture crops (controlled products) in Namibia;
• to require any person engaged in the production, marketing, preparation, processing, preservation or storage of a controlled product
  to keep specified records with respect to the product; and
•  furnish the Board with specified information or returns in a specified manner and at specified times;
• to prohibit the producer of a controlled product from selling, importing or exporting that product except:
• to issue permits with respect to the sale, importation or exportation of a controlled product;
• to prohibit any person from erecting or operating a factory, or refrigeration plant or processing plant for the purposes of producing, processing or storing a controlled product except with the written approval of and in accordance with conditions determined by the Board, or any exemption from the prohibition, by the Board;
• to buy a controlled product as such price as the Minister may approve, and to treat, classify, pack, store, process, insure, advertise or convey in an unprocessed or semi-processed form and to sell the controlled product, or to withhold the product from the market;
• to undertake the marketing or distribution for sale of a controlled product or to act as agent for the purposes of receipt, conveyance, processing, classification or sale of that product;
• to search the premises in order to ascertain whether a controlled product is present on the premises;
• to inspect or cause to be inspected any controlled products found on the premises and demand such information from the person in charge of the premises as is necessary to establish compliance with the provisions of this Act;
• to take samples of a controlled product found on the premises for purposes of analysis, classification, or grading;
• to examine any book, document or record found on the premises which in the inspector’s opinion may contain information relating to a controlled product, to take copies or extracts therefrom, and demand from the person in charge an explanation of any entry therein; and
• to grade, classify, pack, mark, re-grade, reclassify or re-pack in accordance with the provisions of the Act, a controlled product found on the premises; or require the person in charge to grade, classify, pack or mark the controlled product accordingly;
• to collect the import, producer and trader levies;

Thus far the agronomy and horticulture development has grown from strength to strength in terms of local production and marketing when compared to imports. Historic information for the produce traded on the formal markets (2017/2018 financial year) indicates that in terms of agronomy, Namibia produced 76,660 tons of white maize, 2,344 tons of pearl millet and 6,863 tons of wheat respectively. However, at the same time Namibia imported 50,483 tons of white maize, 5,813 tons of pearl millet and 104,244 tons of wheat. It translates that 60 % of white maize that was consumed were locally produced, whereas 40 % and 4 % for pearl millet and wheat respectively.

In terms of horticulture, Namibia produced 28,599 tons that went through formal market, imported 52,853 tons and exported 55,358 tons. Thus, it means that 35 % of our total consumption in tonnages were locally produced in 2017/2018 FY. It should be known that 80 % of export was table grapes while remaining 20 % were mainly dates, tomatoes and onions. Namibia imports 96 % of its fruit’s total demand while only produced 4 % and indicates an opportunity to strategize so that fruit sub-sector could be developed in order to realize the potential as a country. In total Namibia produced 83,957 tons of horticultural products in 2017/2018 financial years.