Namibia is situated on Africa’s south-western seaboard. Its neighbouring countries are Angola to the north, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the east and South Africa to the south. The country is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west. The country covers 825,615 km².
Despite the high proportions of farming land and households dependent on agriculture in Namibia, agriculture contributes a comparatively low percentage to Namibia’s GDP. The agriculture and forestry sector made up 5.9% of GDP in 2007, ranking sixth after government services; mining; finance, real estate and services, wholesale and retail trade; and manufacturing.
The relatively small contribution of agriculture is due to several factors: low capacity as a result of aridity and poor soils, small market demands within Namibia and elsewhere for Namibian products, and the lack of market development in most communal areas. In addition, there is relatively low value added through local processing.
In terms of importance for the economy, food security, livelihood and agricultural policy for Namibia, the five major agricultural commodities produced in terms of value are marine fishing, beef production, grape production, sheep and goat production, and wildlife production.
