Abstract
<p>Cereal grains are the most important source of the world’s total food and staple food for most developing countries. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the Namibian cereal grains by examining trends in annual output, imports and exports as well as consumption volumes for over the period of fifteen years. Due to a variety number of grains being produced and consumed, the main focus is on maize and pearl millet. Data were collected from the Namibian Agronomic Board and from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation Statistical yearbooks for various years. A combination of descriptive statistics has been applied as the method of analysis of the collected data, providing concise summaries about the observations that have been made. The findings show that the production of both maize and pearl millet has increased over the year reviewed due to relative increase in area harvested and yield. Consumption of pearl millet represents one fifth (20%) of the national cereal consumption, while maize represents one third (33%). On average the per capita consumption of maize is around 44kg per year while millet is about 29kg per year. The consumption of both maize and pearl millet rose at an average annual rate higher than the production rate, particularly for maize. To cover deficits between consumption and production, imports become a viable option, especially for maize.</p>
Highlights
Grains are commonly known to be the source of staple food all over the world with under-developed and developing countries leading in consumption due to their inexpensive nature or readily available as food (Henry, et al 1996; Abdelrahman, 1998)
In the case of Namibia as this paper focuses, maize and pearl millet are the main staple food crops grown in the country under both irrigation and dry condition
Over the period studied which is from 1999-2013, the year 2005/2006 and 2012/2013 cropping season, received a favorable rain that contributed to a record local production of 72,438 tons of white maize, from a total of 15,815 hectares planted under irrigation and rain-fed conditions respectively
Summary
Grains are commonly known to be the source of staple food all over the world with under-developed and developing countries leading in consumption due to their inexpensive nature or readily available as food (Henry, et al 1996; Abdelrahman, 1998). Many crops have been lost during the years of severe flood that resulted in low grain production and food shortages Given these challenges, rainfall pattern has proved to be the main obstacles for both maize and pearl millet which are required in order to attain food security and economic development in Namibia. According to Mona et al (2009) the performance of agricultural production in Namibia fluctuates in response to climatic conditions, food self sufficiency varies from 35% to 75% of total demand The production of both maize and pearl millet in Namibia is only possible in the north and north eastern part of the country where rainfall is sufficient and at few irrigation schemes where permanent water is available. 1% of the country’s total surface area is suitable for seasonal and permanent crop production and prospects for expansion of staple crop www.ccsenet.org/jas
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