MEATCO TRIMS WORKERS TO SURVIVE UNCERTAINTIES - AFDB APPROVES WATER POLICY 25 URBAN AGRICULTURE LAUNCHED TO STRENGTHEN FOOD SYSTEMS 27 - THE ...
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April - June 2021 | Price: N$ 26.50 | Vol 6, Issue 2
Meatco trims workers to
survive uncertainties
Delta Drone expands into AfDB approves water policy Urban agriculture launched to
Namibia 9 25 strengthen food systems
27
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Contents
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Emai Address: info@namibianfarming.com
Will the value chain benefit from Meatco’s new structure? : ............4
Website: www.namibianfarming.com
NEWS BRIEF : ............5
Information, Database, Archive and
Distribution Management COVER STORY
Subscription and Sales Administrator:
Meatco trims workers to survive uncertainties : ............6
Hazel Mukwamba l Elise Lusungo
NEWS
Published By:
Agriculture needs care and nursing - Schlettwein : ............7
MTI Media BBB programme to aid in food systems recovery : ............8
Delta Drone expands into Namibia : ............9
Physical Address: Farmers wary of impending dry season : ............12
The Namibian Farmer FAW finds a dependable home in Namibia’s ACV : ............13
NAB, UNAM seed research to yield high food production : ............14
15 Veronica Street Unregistered grain farmers barred to sale to millers,silos : ............16
Ludwigsdorf, Windhoek Sustainable farming efforts starts reaping rewards : ............16
Women in rural areas profit from biodiversity-friendly trade : ............18
Postal Address: Agronomic Board hands over 14 school gardens across the country : ............20
P.O Box 136, Windhoek, Namibia CORPORATE NEWS
Tel: +264 81 587 2191 l Fax: +264 81 265 2005 l Green ammonia technology utilised for fertilizer production : ............22
Email: info@mtimedia.co.za l
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Website: www.namibianfarming.com
Ogwal’s agri-tech start up links farmers to inputs : ............24
AfDB approves water policy : ............25
Zambezi Region’s Kasenu Village hit by Foot and Mouth Disease : ............26
OPINION & ANALYSIS
Urban agriculture launched to strengthen food systems : ............27
www.namibianfarming.com Namibian Farmer | April - June 2021 3
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Will the value chain benefit from Meatco’s new
structure?
tainability for the meat company. With Another development on the farming
heighten competition in the meat indus- community’s spotlight is urban farming,
try, it’s a sound decision to put in place somewhere in this edition urban farm-
a structure that will support not only ing is discussed indepth highlighting it’s
growth of the company but sustainability. benefits.
Stakeholders at this moment need more Urban farming is a welcome develop-
answers supported with substantial ev- ment considering fears on food security
idence that the lean structure will pro- the globe is facing.
duce desired results.
Surplus food the small scale producers
We hope that making Meatco more effi- in the urban farming sector which is more
cient will also trickely down to the meat of subsistence farming should soon find
industry value chain, an opportunity for its way to the market.
jobs to be created outside Meatco.
Andrew Maramwidze (Editor) The proximity of urban farmers to fresh
As government grapple with employ- produce market will be an added advan-
ment creation, it sparks concerns to hear tages to lovers of fresh foods.
M
plans to cut employees by one of the key
eatco has announced plans to stakeholders in the meat industry. As stakeholders in farming industry con-
have a lean team of employees
tinue to seek solutions to improve the
that will respond positively to In the past we have celebrated how industry, we hope Meatco and the urban
the changing global environment. Meatco has managed to access new farmers achieve the best for the farming
markets including China and others, the community.
As the news filter through the farming immediate impression will be new mar-
communities, some of the young and kets, new jobs but the opposite is hap- Remember to us comments, inquiries
hopefuls to be employed at Meatco now pening. and letters.
have their dreams shattered.
We hope Meatco will give a more detailed Enjoy the read!
However, from an operations stand point analysis of how the farming community
the decision is aimed at ensuring sus- will benefit from this new development.
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4 Namibian Farmer
| April - June 2021 www.namibianfarming.com
NEWS BRIEFS
Government to fence Neckartal Dam This is a system in which participants to Pijoo Nganate, Omaheke governor said
a transaction directly exchange goods the region envisages establishing an
Agriculture, Water and Land Reform or services without using a medium of Agro-Processing Hub, further stating
ministry has agreed to identify sites exchange, such as money. the region no longer wishes to depend
or areas that constitutes a risk along solely on livestock farming; thus, farm-
Neckartal Dam reservoir for fencing off. According to Andreas, he decided to ers have embarked upon diversifica-
The development comes after three sell some of the houses to prevent tion and embraced the lifestyle change
lives of school boys were lost recent- less fortunate farmers from losing their that comes with it.
ly at the dam. Neckartal Dam reservoir animals as a result of the devastating
covers a surface area of approximately drought. Adding sentiments, Peter Kazon-
3,980 ha at full supply level. gominja, Councillor of Aminius Con-
Andreas, also a farmer, said his com- stituency in Omaheke, said his constit-
Meanwhile, the government has reit- pany has built houses at Grootfon- uency is moving in the right direction
erated that the principle of inclusivity tein, Karibib, Otjiwarongo, Ondangwa, regarding diversification. Kazongomin-
and consultation with communities Omuthiya and Oshakati. ja said farmers have taken advantage
and stakeholders in the /Kharas Re- of the recent good rainfall the country
gion was considered throughout the Namibia to minimize agricultural im- received and embarked on crop pro-
construction of the Neckartal Dam. ports duction, which is now a major farming
initiative in the Aminius constituency.
According to authorities, this was done Namibia will minimize importing agri-
because the Neckartal Dam is a na- culture products and prioritize creating “The drought conditions we experi-
tional project that communities in the / market access for locally produced enced spoke louder in our ears that we
Kharas Region should take pride in, as goods to stimulate economic growth, need to diversify and not only rely on
well as the entire nation. Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land livestock farming. This is a good thing
Reform Calle Schlettwein said recently. in a form that the community can now
“The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and be self-sufficient for a long period and
Land Reform will continue to consult Schlettwein said the move aims to not only rely on the government for
with this principle in mind.” empower Namibian farmers and al- food assistance,” he said.
low them a fair chance to supply their
New guidelines for cattle goods to the local market. Brown locust outbreaks threaten
identification, marketing Southern Africa
“We have seen that the Namibia Ag-
Meat Board of Namibia with inputs by ronomic Board (NAB) is doing a good Outbreaks of brown locusts had been
the Directorate of Veterinary Services job in minimizing imports of agriculture reported in Namibia, Botswana, and the
has developed a document for cattle and horticulture products that can be Karoo area of South Africa. Dr Gerhard
identification and marketing. produced locally. We have since laid Verdoorn, operations and stewardship
a plan to improve production in our manager at CropLife South Africa, has
The purpose of the document is to pro- green scheme projects by improving warned that the recent huge outbreaks
vide a visual guideline on the identifica- the irrigation systems there as a way of of brown locusts (Locustana pardalina)
tion requirements for cattle in terms of giving local farmers a better chance to in Southern Africa could cause a hu-
the Animal Health Act (Act 01 of 2011) improve their farming techniques,” he manitarian crisis.
in Namibia, and includes the identifi- said.
cation requirements for the keeping He said that outbreaks “of note” had
and for the marketing of cattle. AS the Meanwhile, the NAB said in a report re- been reported in Namibia, Botswana,
economic crunch continues, a property leased this week that they have heav- and the Karoo area of South Africa.The
developer has come up with an initia- ily scaled up the production of grain outbreak in the Karoo expanded deep
tive where newly built houses are sold reaching 76,660 tons of white maize, into the Kalahari, as far as Van Zylsrus
for cows. 2,344 tons of pearl millet and 6,863 and Askham.
tons of wheat in the previous farming
Houses for cows season. “In the Northern Communal Areas of
Namibia, natural grazing has been de-
Property developer Josef Andreas, who Omaheke diversifies into crop farm- stroyed by the swarms, and the insects
is the owner of Tulaing Group, which ing are now attacking crops such as the
owns Tulaing Properties, its business staple crops of maize and pearl millet,
arm that deals with housing develop- Omaheke, has taken on a diversifica- or mahangu, as it’s known. The same is
ment, told The Namibian yesterday that tion strategy to include crop farming, happening in the northern parts of Bo-
apart from buying houses through the as many residents now prefer to call it tswana, and large outbreaks are also
bank or paying cash, clients can ac- “the cattle and agro region”. still being reported all over the Karoo,”
quire houses through bartering. Verdoorn said.
www.namibianfarming.com Namibian Farmer | April - June 2021 5
COVER STORY
Meatco trims workers to survive uncertainties
M
eatco has crafted a leaner, agile
and dynamic structure, making
it more robust in the prevailing
global environment to ensure that it re-
mains competitive, sustainable and prof-
itable.
According to the company, employees
who are 55 and above particularly those
that are already 60 years and above will
part ways with the organisation as part of
the rightsizing the business.
“The volatile, uncertain, complex and am-
biguous environment in which Meatco
operates calls for business adaption to
ensure survival,” said a communique from
the company recently.
The company further highlighted that it
strives to remain competitive, profitable This quantity is automatically determined that generates the quota for each farmer
and sustainable in the rapidly changing by the NamLITS database, says Nam- so that a farmer will be able to get more
dynamic business environment. LITS South Coordinator Windhoek at DVS ear tags on his or her quota,” Erastus
in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and said.
“With the intervention to adapt, Meatco is Land Reform, Dr Janett-Star Erastus.
optimistic of the future in its commitment The quota for the next 12 months takes
to create wealth for all Namibians.” However following negotiations between into account, among other things, the
MBN and DVS, the provision has now number of ear tags registered or replaced
Meanwhile the Directorate of Veterinary been adjusted so that the NamLITS da- by producers on the NamLITS database
Services (DVS) has revised the quota tabase takes 30 percent growth in cattle in the past 24 months.
system in which all producers, who pur- numbers into account when calculating
chase cattle ear tags from the Meat Board the quota, to provide for the rebuilding of In the meantime, producers who do not
of Namibia (MBN) or its various agents, herds after the extended drought period. qualify for sufficient cattle ear tags can
could only purchase a certain number of still apply at the NamLITS office for the
ear tags, depending on the quantity they “The 30 percent increase is a simple ad- review of the NamLITS specified quota.
qualified for. justment to the formula on the database
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6 Namibian Farmer
| April - June 2021 www.namibianfarming.com
NEWS
Agriculture needs care and
nursing - Schlettwein
T
he agriculture, water and land reform minister says the Schlettwein also wants the nation to consider improving live-
agricultural sector is yet to recover from the most stock production programme with a focus to improve animal
severe drought in recent times. health country wide and a marketing and animal health improve-
ment scheme.
“We have had a foot and mouth outbreak and we still battle a
locust infestation. One could compare the current status of the In addition, the minister is calling for a crop and horticulture pro-
sector to a cow that is recovering from drought, but now has duction aimed at maximizing irrigation opportunities, especially
to battle foot and mouth attack while the fresh grazing she de- on existing green schemes and the implementation of horticul-
pends on is diminished by locusts. ture, poultry and dairy value chain development for enhanced
agricultural production.
“This cow needs care and nursing. She must get extra fodder
and sufficient clean water, medication and supplements to be- Schlettwein wants the nation to embark on an agriculture in-
come an productive animal,” said Carl Schlettwein. frastructure development, aimed at renovation and upgrading
of ministerial buildings, farm infrastructure and constructions
For the sector to reach its full potential it translates into the need of agricultural develoment centres. Meanwhile government has
for additional resources and investments, better services to ag- secured N$1.8 billion from African Development Bank (AfDB) to
ricultural stakeholders and reasonable paying markets for its address bulk and rural water supply needs in the country.
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www.namibianfarming.com Namibian Farmer | April - June 2021 7
NEWS
BBB programme to aid in food systems
recovery By GLENN-NORA TJIPURA
T
he Ministry of Agriculture, Water Schlettwein highlighted that the majority “We like many other countries have not
and Land Reform (MAWLR) has of smallholder farmers in urban and rural been spared by the viral Covid-19, and
launched the Urban Agriculture areas does not have access to formal ag- other disasters such as the Foot and
project aimed at strengthening the food ricultural markets and therefore depend Mouth Disease, Droughts, Floods and
system to recover from emergencies and on informal markets to market and sell recently the locust outbreaks, which im-
disease-related shocks through the Build their produce. pacted negatively the national and house-
Back Better (BBB) programme. hold food security in the country,” he said.
“However, these markets are often char-
The programme is meant to achieve its acterized by poor marketing infrastruc-
goals through multi-faceted interventions ture, resulting in high post-harvest losses
that focus on prevention of the spread of (PHLs), which in turn, culminates in the
COVID-19 through the provision of hand- loss of revenue and real income to farm-
washing facilities in, informal food mar- ers and vendors,” he explained.
kets, urban food production to mitigate
humanitarian needs of food security and It was also noted by the Ministry that if
nutrition and addressing social-econom- Sub-Saharan countries, including Namib-
ic impacts of COVID-19 by supporting ia, are to honour their obligations towards
the livelihoods of vulnerable through in- the achievement of SDG 1 and 2 on end-
come-generating activities, said the Min- ing poverty and zero hunger respectively,
ster Calle Schlettwein in a statement. as well as to deliver on SDG target 12.3
on reduction of PHLs, we need to address
He added that the development of small these inefficiencies by directing targeted
and medium enterprises (SMEs) is very and dedicated investment towards the
important and it has been identified as a development of both hard and soft-wares
priority under pillar two of the Harambee of the marketing systems of the agricul-
Prosperity Plan II on economic advance- tural informal sectors of the countries.
ment.
Schlettwein further adds that the Gov-
The Ministry also emphasized that the ernment have started with such invest-
dedicated budget for the promotion, sup- ment initiatives through the establishment
port and financing of the development of the Agricultural Trade and Marketing
of SMEs in Namibia, including SMEs in Agency (AMTA) and the construction of
Agriculture, ties in well with the develop- Strategic Food Reserve Facilities which
ment of the Peri-urban agriculture project, serve a double purpose of storage and a
which was being launched. ready market for farmers.
8 Namibian Farmer
| April - June 2021 www.namibianfarming.com
NEWS
Delta Drone expands into Namibia
enterprise sites, in this instance, it will be
provided remotely to sites in Namibia due
to COVID-19 restrictions. DSL had typi-
cally conducted fifteen enterprise courses
each year, but with the advent of remote
learning is now looking to expand its of-
fering.
“With our expertise across drone opera-
tions, software development and drone
program management, we are in a unique
position to create courses that not only
educate inhouse drone operators on the
innovative ways drones can be used to
improve business operations, but also
consult on industry-best practice,” said
Delta Drone International CEO, Christo-
pher Clark.
Clark said drone data services are in-
creasingly becoming an integral part of
the agriculture, mining and engineering
sectors, in creating much faster and cred-
ible data analysis.
“Using our expertise in the areas of ae-
rial surveying and mapping, industrial in-
spections and precision farming, we look
forward to contributing to the long-term
career paths of drone pilots within these
sectors.”
He further boasted of the company’s
ability to train businesses to pivot to a re-
mote learning delivery due to COVID-19
is testament to our skilled workforce and
the flexibility of our drones-as-a-service
model, and it also highlights the contin-
ued high level of demand for our training
D
services.
elta Drone International expands
into Namibia to deliver advanced Drone Safety & Legal (Pty) Ltd. (DSL), an Delta Drone International is a multination-
drone operations training for en- accredited training subsidiary of Delta al drone-based data service and tech-
terprise companies through Delta Drone Drone International, designed the course nology solutions provider for the mining,
International’s training brand, Drone Safe- specifically for enterprise drone opera- agricultural and engineering industries. It
ty & Legal. tors with an intermediate understanding provides aerial surveying and mapping,
of aerial data capture, to gain deeper security and surveillance, and blast mon-
For the first time in the region, cours- insights into the magnitude of ways ad- itoring and fragment analysis through a
es provide advanced training covering vanced drone use and its associated ser- fully-outsourced service with AI and fast
all facets of drone program operation to vices can add value to their operations. data turnaround that allows enterprise
drone professionals in the mining, agricul- Training courses are tailored to each en- customers to focus on operations on the
ture and engineering sectors. terprise and generally run for between ground while Delta Drone International
5 and 21 days. They cover all facets of takes care of everything in the air.
The training program conducted remotely drone program operation, from advanced
for the first time due to COVID-19 restric- drone capabilities, data platform integra- It has in-house enabling proprietary tech-
tions, with course expansion expected tion, administration, servicing, safety and nology, an R&D and integration centre
through further remote learning. compliance. and specialist expertise in designing, de-
veloping and providing best-in-class au-
Global drones-as-a-service provider, Del- Courses often help confirm the desired tonomous safety systems for commercial
ta Drone International Limited will expand scope of services and enterprise needs drone deliveries, drone flights for crowd
its training operations into Namibia to de- to outsource to Delta Drone International monitoring and in urban areas, as well as
liver advanced drone operations training or ways to optimise their current in-house ‘beyond visual line of sight’ (BVLOS) mis-
for enterprise companies. drone operations. Normally undertaken at sions.
www.namibianfarming.com Namibian Farmer | April - June 2021 9
10 Namibian Farmer
| April - June 2021 www.namibianfarming.comAchieve more from your feed with KEENAN and
InTouch feed management technology
S
ince its inception, KEENAN, fibre structure to stimulate rumination, al- The quality of mix the KEENAN diet feed-
based in Borris, Co. Carlow, has lowing greater absorption of energy, max- ers produce, paired with the KEENAN
offered tailor-made solutions imised feed conversion efficiency and ul- controller and the InTouch feed manage-
to enhance farm profitability. A renewed timately maximum herd performance. ment platform, has positive consequential
energy has been invested into design, benefits for farmers under pressure to re-
innovation and technology since joining “The KEENAN controller fitted to the diet duce the carbon footprint of their herd.
the Alltech family, to ensure the KEENAN feeder is very intuitive and simple to use.
offering exceeds the demands of tomor- It tells the farmer step by step what feed Walker explains, “If you can accurately
row’s agricultural requirements. With mix to put in the machine and then re- prevent farmers from overfeeding ingre-
advances in precision farming, com- cords the exact input of feed mix in the dients and get farmers to optimise their
bined with thorough customer feedback, machine, explains Robert Walker, CEO of output, it means that they are more effi-
KEENAN has evolved from a renowned KEENAN. The ease of using InTouch has cient. More efficient farmers are going to
manufacturer of diet feeders into an Ag- been key to its success.” be producing more milk using fewer re-
ritech company, developing disruptive sources.
IoT technologies that are driving smarter, “Difference in diet can be quickly iden-
more profitable farming in more than 40 tified, assessed and corrected through KEENAN’s latest campaign, ‘The Result is
countries. the InTouch system. If there is a mis- in the Mix’, positions livestock farmers at
take or a deterioration in animal per- the forefront of KEENAN’s core focus and
Long synonymous with excellence in formance, the farmer is alerted, and an is centred around their value proposition;
nutrition and driving animal perfor- InTouch nutritionist will modify the diet delivering enhanced animal performance
mance through optimising rumen health, accordingly, explains Walker.” and herd health through superior mix
KEENAN diet feeders are fitted with the quality and a consistent mix.
KEENAN controller and InTouch, a feed “Working with KEENAN and InTouch feed
management platform, which provides management, farmers can achieve more The ethos of the campaign is to show-
monitoring and optimization of herd from their feed. What they get in terms of case how KEENAN can effectively sup-
health, ration formulation, weight gains/ actual production is 200 grams per head port farmers in their everyday life, help-
yield, in addition to improving on-farm per day more beef on average across our ing achieve better on-farm profitability,
profits. system and a 16% increase in milk pro- increased herd performance and a better
duction,” said Cathal Bohane, Head of work-life balance.
Independent trials have consistently re- InTouch Nutrition.
vealed that the KEENAN mix retains the
www.namibianfarming.com Namibian Farmer | April - June 2021 11NEWS
Farmers wary of impending dry season
F
armers in the drought-prone Gustav Kambirongo, who farms in the Ot- at least one-third of the Namibian popula-
Omaheke region are keeping jinene area, said he was worried that the tion was left without adequate food sup-
their cards much closer to their drought experienced in previous years plies and thousands of livestock perished
chests, as they prepare for a possible could return. due to drought.
hard dry season.
“We had a great rainy season, no doubt Omaheke farmers a few years ago had to
Many have chosen an apprehensive ap- about that. But soon after that, winter watch their animals helplessly succumb
proach to their farming, and are not ex- started creeping in and the vegetation re- to famine. News reports at the time es-
actly confident that the good rainy sea- fused to grow further. There is still plenty timated that the farmers lost about 300
son at the beginning of the year will carry of grass around, but when the dry period livestock in the frequently drought-hit
them through. For them, it›s a wait-and- comes, livestock would gulp these up in Aminuis constituency.
see game. The risk of spanning the cart a few weeks because yellow dry grass is
before the horses is too enormous for not as nutritious as when it was in its orig- The deplorable situation had forced many
them and they are taking no chances. inal fresh green state,” he said. farmers in the area to relocate their an-
imals to other constituencies as well as
And they may be right; the lush green Another father, Peter Hoveka from Epukiro to other regions, especially Otjozondjupa,
vegetation that covers a large part of this constituency, said the vegetation had just for better grazing.
vast region has slowly started to wither, managed to restore itself but did not have
leaving behind pale looking shrubs with enough time to grow further due to the Aminuis constituency councillor Peter Ka-
thorns sticking out. imminent seasonal change. zongominja had at the time revealed that
more than 17 000 livestock have been
In some places, the green grass has also “We rejoiced when it rained, but now it is moved out of Aminuis to other areas in
turned to a stark yellow, announcing the understandable that any farmer would be order for farmers to save them from the
onset of the dry winter months for the concerned as we go into the dry season. drought.
country. For those with farms, it will probably be
better because they would be able to cut Muniazo Kotjipati, who had been farm-
Namibia›s dry season stretches from April up the grass on their farms and preserve ing in the Aminuis area for years, is one
to October, while the coldest months of it. We are communal farmers and don›t of those who left the constituency some
the year - where drought usually creeps in have that luxury,” he noted. five years ago as drought claimed up to
- are between July and August. The early two thirds of his kraal. For him, there is no
spring rains only fall late into September Drought spells have become a common return to Aminuis.
and sometimes delayed until December feature in Namibia. In 2019, another
or at times, January the next year. drought hit Namibia and several resultant I am not going back. I have been doing
impacts made the news. well here in the Otjozondjupa region since
Farmers AgriToday spoke to said although getting here. Why would I return to certain
the last rainy season was above normal A combination of poor, sporadic rainfall death? Aminuis is hard on the farmer and
and had brought a sigh of relief to many, and low soil moisture has led to very low I pray for my brothers and sisters there,
its gains have slowly started becoming agriculture production and an extreme but I will stay put here,” he said.
less visible. shortage of water, affecting several com-
munities across the country. As a result, Source: New Era
12 Namibian Farmer
| April - June 2021 www.namibianfarming.comNEWS
FAW finds a dependable home in Namibia’s
ACV
A
fter successfully serving markets
throughout the continent from its
headquarters in Coega, Gqeber-
ha, Port Elizabeth for a number of years,
commercial vehicle manufacturer FAW
Trucks has reintroduced the brand in Na-
mibia, reinforcing its steadfast commit-
ment to clients.
FAW Trucks found a dependable home
with Africa Commercial Vehicles (ACV), a
dominant force in the Namibian commer-
cial vehicle sector, in 2018, according to a
statement released this week.
“As one of the country’s most reputable
dealers, ACV has been providing con-
sistently high levels of customer service
and after-sales support from its premises
in Windhoek, and as a result, the FAW
Trucks brand has flourished, the manu-
factured said.
ACV was first established in 1996 and
has, since then, grown into a well-re-
spected entity. It has always been at the
leading edge of doing business and in
2014 became the first vehicle dealership
in Namibia to adopt a cloud-based data
management system. Since becoming
the authorized FAW Trucks dealership, the ethically and I believe this is one of the passengers, it features a spacious and er-
business has expanded to such an extent reasons why FAW Trucks continues to gonomically designed cab, while air-con-
that it had to move to larger premises. gain momentum in the Namibian market.” ditioning and a radio with MP3 and USB
Coetzee, who has been with ACV since functionality are standard. It is fitted with
Apart from handling sales, ACV’s 1 850 2010, has complete trust in the FAW a Euro 3 Cummins ISF 3,8-litre engine, a
m2 facility, located next to the B1 national Trucks brand. “With a host of different ZF six-speed manual transmission and a
highway, houses a workshop consisting engine capacities, payload allowanc- full air dual circuit WABCO braking sys-
of 18 work bays, four electric lifts and two es and body options on offer, Namibian tem with ABS.
16-metre work pits. There is also a large businesses big and small can rely on our
storeroom that carries the full spectrum of products to get the job done.” “FAW Trucks has such a solid reputation
spares and parts required to service and for strength, reliability, ease of operation
maintain all FAW Trucks models. Looking As is the case with vehicle markets and value for money that the units virtu-
after customers that are further afield, around the globe, Namibia has been se- ally sell themselves. Our job is to ensure
ACV also has a service and parts facility in verely impacted by the negative effects that we continue to provide customers
Walvis Bay and more than ten authorized of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the with dedicated service and support of the
FAW Trucks repairers across Namibia. market is showing some green shoots highest quality. Buyers need to know that
and Coetzee believes it will take a signif- we are here for the long haul and that we
“ACV is a great fit for FAW Trucks as the icant turn for the better in the months to will honour all warranties, service plans
two entities subscribe to the same val- come. His confidence is further bolstered and after-sales requirements. FAW Trucks
ues of honesty, quality, commitment and by the fact that ACV recently received an are built to last and we, as a dealership,
forging long-lasting relationships,” said order for five 8.140 FAW Truck units from need to instil that same confidence,” said
Jianyu Hao, CEO of FAW South Africa. a new customer to the brand. These units ACV sales manager, Christian Koch.
will be sourced from the assembly plant
Jakkie Coetzee, dealer principal at ACV in Coega. “FAW Trucks is, and will always be,
added;. “We too are committed to truck committed to Africa and its people. We
sales and service of the highest quality. The 8.140 (5-tonne) competes in the HCV strongly believe that with established and
Our mission, vision and values form the segment of the local market and has a respected partners such as ACV, FAW
heart of our organisation and we proudly body and payload allowance of 6 tonnes. Trucks will benefit from the growing de-
display these on everything from service mand for commercial vehicles on the con-
labels to business cards. We do business Providing seating for a driver and two tinent,” Hao concluded.
www.namibianfarming.com Namibian Farmer | April - June 2021 13NEWS
NAB, UNAM seed research to yield high food
production By GLENN-NORA TJIPURA
A
s part of the implementation of wards Namibia’s climatic conditions and cial varieties commonly planted in Namib-
the MOU signed between are most likely to produce maximum ia were included.
Namibian Agronomic Board yields to ensure increased food produc-
(NAB) and University of Namibia (UNAM) tion in Namibia,” said Gilbert Mulonda The top-performing varieties for both
last year, the two organization have held NAB’s GM for Agronomy and Horticulture white maize and pearl millet seeds will be
their first Seed Research Open Day at Market Development. recommended for release after the sec-
Mashare research site. ond trial.
Nab also announced that, during Decem-
The event aimed to highlight the prelim- ber 2020 to April 2021 growing season, “During the second seed trials -2021/2022
inary outcomes on various seed variety 24 elite Pearl millet seed varieties were to be conducted later this year, the se-
trials currently being undertaken, on white received from the International Crops Re- lections from the open day will be tested
maize and pearl millet seed varieties. search Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics on more research sites and larger land
(ICRISAT), for the Eastern and Southern areas under farmers’ conditions” high-
According to NAB and UNAM the seed African Regional office in Nairobi and lighted Prof Kenneth Matengu, UNAM
variety trials are being conducted at four planted at the aforementioned research Vice-Chancellor at the event.
research sites namely; Mashare Irrigation sites, tested under irrigation for yield and
(Pty) Ltd, Ogongo UNAM Campus, Zam- adaptability to the Namibian climatic con- Matengu further called on for more Green
bezi Vocational Training Centre, and Dor- ditions. Schemes and farmers to partner and par-
ringboom UNAM Farm respectively. ticipate in advanced seed trials by provid-
Three early maturing local seed varieties; ing seed testing facilities and seed pro-
The assessment further indicated that Okashana2, Kangara, and Kantana were duction areas.
seed is the most important input and also included in the assessments, as
Namibia remains a net importer of both checks. Dr. Fidelis Nyambe Mwazi, NAB Chief
agronomic and horticultural seeds, a gap Executive Officer reflecting on the event
which the ongoing seed variety research During the same period, 28 early and 28 said ultimately, the hybrid seeds to be
aims to address. intermediate maturing white maize hy- produced as from 2022 will be increased
brids seed varieties were received from yearly, packaged, and availed to local
“The seed trials will produce findings to International Maize and Wheat Improve- farmers at affordable prices, which will
supplement government’s efforts in es- ment Center (CIMMYT) and were similarly further contribute to food security and re-
tablishing white maize and pearl millet tested on all four research sites. Of which, duced reliance on seed imports.
seed varieties that are best suited to- one local seed variety and three commer-
14 Namibian Farmer
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Unregistered grain farmers barred to sale to
millers, silos
N
amibian Agronomic Board (NAB) limited access to internet connectivity to que from the board.
will this year enforce barring register at their nearest Agricultural De-
unregistered grain farmers from velopment Centre (ADCs), where they Meanwhile in line with the Agronomic
selling to millers and silos. will be assisted by officials of the Minis- Industry Act, 20 of 1992, the Namibian
try of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Agronomic Board (NAB) is mandated to
The announced on the backdrop of NAB (MAWLR), Directorate of Agricultural Ex- promote the agronomy and horticulture
having invited grain farmers who intend to tension and Engineering Services (DAP- industry, and to facilitate production, pro-
market white maize and mahangu grains EES). cessing, storage and marketing of con-
to registered millers/silos during the up- trolled agronomic and horticultural prod-
coming 2021 marketing season, to regis- NAB says registered millers and silos are ucts in Namibia.
ter with the board. only allowed to buy white maize and ma-
hangu grains from farmers who are regis- As per section 10 (1)(J) of the Agronomic
According to the board the registration tered with the board. Industry Act, Act 20 of 1992, all producers
was closed before the start of the market- of controlled agronomic and horticultural
ing season on 01 May 2021. “Therefore all unregistered grain farmers crops in Namibia are legally obliged to
will not be allowed to sell their grain to register with the NAB as a producer of a
Prior to closing the curtain on the call, registered millers/silos until they are reg- controlled product.
the board called on all grain farmers with istered with the NAB,” said a communi-
Sustainable farming efforts starts reaping
rewards
A
s the University of Namibia’s me a few seedlings which I planted and “Farmers, especially those in the northern
Ogongo campus plans to enable some equipment that I needed. areas must switch to growing rice be-
small scale farmers to do sus- cause it is now becoming a staple food in
tainable agricultural production, results “I planted in January and now my rice is many households. Rice cultivation does
are already on the radar. ready for harvest. Our first harvest will not require one to have a large portion of
start next week,” he said. land. One can grow on a small piece of
One such beneficiary is Ace Komeya is a land and the production will still be high
small-scale organic rice farmer on a small Despite facing difficulties such as the high because rice does not require many farm-
portion of land at Epuku Noyana village in cost are irrigation systems, Komeya plans ing techniques, all that one needs is to
Ongongo constituency. to expand his project to produce on a have adequate water and the skills,” he
higher scale. said.
He started growing organic rice early this
year and will be having his first harvest. Simon Awala, an agronomy and plant Awala said that Komeya’s rice will be pro-
physiology lecturer at the Ogongo cam- cessed and packaged at the campus.
“I first started farming with maize and a pus commended Komeya for starting the
few vegetables, thereafter I decided to try rice project saying the demand for organ- He added that the seasonal wetlands
growing organic rice. I did research on it ic rice was increasing in the world, but its such as Oshanas and floodplains are
and I sought more information from the cultivation remains modest and many lo- some of the ideal areas for rice farming in
Unam campus. The lecturers advised me cal farmers are reluctant to grow rice. the northern regions.
on how to grow rice and they even gave
16 Namibian Farmer
| April - June 2021 www.namibianfarming.comenvironmentally
responsible
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www.namibianfarming.com Namibian Farmer | April - June 2021 17
www.athermal.co.zaNEWS
Women in rural areas profit from
biodiversity-friendly trade
T
he sustainable use and trade of Protocol on access and benefit-sharing of fetched the cooperative’s members about
indigenous plants has created genetic resources. $158,000, a 14 percent jump from 2019.
valuable economic opportuni- The cooperative empowers its members
ties for 2,500 Namibian women and their “These principles empower local com- and their communities economically by
communities. munities and cooperatives to protect bio- ensuring they are paid fair prices.
diversity and benefit from it at the same
The Eudafano Women’s Cooperative in time,” said Lorena Jaramillo, project man- The income to the members is seasonal,
Namibia extracts ingredients from seeds ager of UNCTAD’s BioTrade initiative. as the marula fruits are harvested season-
of indigenous plants such as marula, a ally, typically between May and Novem-
medium-sized deciduous tree, for the The Eudafano Women’s Cooperative es- ber.
domestic and international cosmetics in- tablished 22 years ago harnesses the
dustry. community’s traditional environmental The cooperative, a leading producer of
knowledge to promote the conservation marula oil in the southern African region,
Oil extracted from marula seeds is rich in of indigenous plants and prevent overex- is run by a board made up exclusively of
elements that are essential for the preser- ploitation. women from the community.
vation of human skin, making it an ideal
ingredient for cosmetics. “We value the marula tree. You won’t find It has set its sights on recruiting more
people cutting it down, now that they members and training them on organic
The cooperative commercializes the know its benefits,” Ms. Negumbo said. farming methods to boost both its pro-
marula and other plants in line with a set duction of marula oil and its conservation
of guidelines on environmental, social and About 2,500 women working in 27 asso- efforts.
economic sustainability, known as Bio- ciations harvest marula fruits from wild
Trade principles and criteria. trees and deliver their kernels and seeds The cooperative worked with the Centre
to the cooperative’s factory, where oils for Research Information Action in Afri-
The term “BioTrade” refers to the supply are extracted through a combination of ca — Southern Africa Development and
and commercialization of goods and ser- hand and machine processing. Consulting, a Namibian-based organiza-
vices derived legally and sustainably from tion, to turn the marula fruit into an eco-
a country’s biodiversity. Each year, the factory produces up to 12 nomically viable product.
tons of marula oil, which is sold to com-
“We use the plants to support our live- panies such as The Body Shop Interna- The organization provided research and
lihoods, while conserving them so that tional. technological support that enabled the
they sustain us for a long time,” said Mar- cooperative to serve both local and inter-
tha Negumbo, the cooperative’s manager. It was the cooperative’s first global cus- national markets.
Negumbo said applying BioTrade princi- tomer, attracted not only by the properties
ples enables the cooperative to “promote of marula oil but also by the rural women’s And the cooperative received further re-
sustainability, equal sharing of benefits cooperative’s conservation efforts. search and development support from
and respect for the rights of all actors, es- PhytoTrade Africa, the southern African
pecially the local community.” The cooperative carries out rainfed agri- natural products trade association.
culture and advocates for the planting of
BioTrade principles encourage sustain- more marula trees to promote the regen- The partnerships opened new markets for
able trade and investment in developing eration of local biodiversity. the cooperative and helped it expand in-
countries’ unique natural resources, while come opportunities for local communitie
ensuring their long-term conservation and Its revenues have increased over the
enhancement. years. In 2020, sales from marula kernels
More than 80 countries have implement-
ed the principles to date, with several ex-
amples of successful adoption by govern-
ments, companies and communities.
The principles are aligned with key mul-
tilateral environmental agreements, nota-
bly the Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) and the Convention on Internation-
al Trade in Endangered Species of Wild
Fauna and Flora (CITES).
They are also in line with the UN 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development, the
Paris climate agreement and the Nagoya
18 Namibian Farmer
| April - June 2021 www.namibianfarming.comwww.namibianfarming.com Namibian Farmer | April - June 2021 19
NEWS
Agronomic Board hands over 14 school
gardens across the country
T
he Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) officially handed Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture as the main custodian of
over the School Garden Funding Project (SGFP) to the schools nominated 42 schools to be assessed in-line with the
Auas Primary School on 9 June 2021. NAB nomination guidelines, hence a total of 42 schools were
nominated for assessment.
The Board said Auas Primary School is among the 14 beneficia-
ries of the one school per region selected for the project.
“All the nominated schools were evaluated to determine their
suitability of benefiting from the project by both the NAB and he
Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture and the selection criteria
mainly focusing on schools with the most vulnerable children in
the region,” they said, adding that schools with reliable source of
water for irrigation and that are active in agriculture were chosen.
They further said that to ensure inclusivity and a fair selection
process of the 14 school to be funded through the project, the
20 Namibian Farmer
| April - June 2021 www.namibianfarming.comAccelerate the Adoption of Solar Refrigeration in Namibia I nnovative energy efficient off-grid refrigeration solutions are becoming increasingly popular because they can increase food security, reduce food wastage and mitigate CO2 emissions as well as generate possible economic ben- efits for rural communities. Even when milk, meat and vegetables are plentiful, communal farmers rarely have access to cooling appliances and are left outside of the cold chain. Improved ac- cess to energy-efficient, off-grid appropri- ate refrigeration can immediately and sig- nificantly improve the lives and livelihoods of our communal and emerging farmers. In addition to access to fresh food, refrig- eration extends the viability of life-saving medicines and vaccines. The technical score is that the size of a solar panel required to power a best in- class off-grid refrigerator is nine times smaller than what is required to power a conventional refrigerator. Regarding ener- gy consumption, every refrigerator takes a surge of energy to start up. This is the same with solar refrigeration, but the dif- ference is that the start-up wattage of a DC appliance is significantly lower than that of an AC one. Energy storage remains a challenge both in cost and capacity, but alternative groundbreaking technologies are already on the Namibian market. It is possible to have a 12V DC refrigerator powered with- out batteries, using 50-80W PV modules as a source of energy plus the ice stor- age technology of the appliance, to get + 4°C..+12°C cooling temperature range at ambient temperatures ranging +16°C - +40°C. In conclusion, the importance of taking care of our environment should not come short, hence the shift to CO2 mitigating refrigerants for these appliances. Moira Alberts, Managing Director & Co-Founder of Taatisolar. www.namibianfarming.com Namibian Farmer | April - June 2021 21
CORPORATE NEWS
Green ammonia technology utilised for fertilizer
production
S
tamicarbon has launched Stami bon’s portfolio, commercialization of
Green Ammonia Technology a small-scale urea plants and mono-pres- Powering ammonia synthesis with renew-
solution to tackle the global car- sure nitric acid plants in green fertilizer able energy sources thus becomes a sig-
bon challenge. projects become feasible. nificant step towards a more sustainable
fertilizer production. Stami Green Ammo-
The technology relies on renewable re- The Stami Green Ammonia Technology nia is a CAPEX competitive technology,
sources – instead of fossil fuels – to elimi- can also be applied in existing plants, as offering a solid reference base (with 4
nate carbon from the process, paving the part of a hybrid technology solution to plants in operation), reliability and proven
way for sustainable and green fertilizer make existing fertilizer production more design.
production. sustainable.
Stamicarbon will provide its green ammo-
“Green Ammonia technology is at the Producers can choose, for example, to nia technology for the development of a
heart of Stamicarbon’s innovation pro- use this technology in combination with green power-to-fertilizer plant at the Ose-
gram and vision for the future,” said urea production based on carbon recy- rian Two Lakes Industrial Park in Kenya.
Pejman Djavdan, Managing Director at cling, or in combination with nitrate fer- The Stami Green Ammonia technology
Stamicarbon. tilizers. In addition to delivering the tech- differs in the pressure of the synthesis
nology, Stamicarbon can also assist with gas, which is ideal for current Green Am-
“The world is demanding accelerated co- feasibility studies, project development monia applications.
operative climate action to reduce emis- and financing. Ammonia synthesis re-
sions and Stamicarbon is determined to quires hydrogen and nitrogen. Conven- The operating reference plants are based
be part of the solution. Our new Stami tional, or “grey”, ammonia production on natural gas, with a different synthesis
Green Ammonia Technology plots a clear relies on fossil fuels, such as natural gas, gas make-up. This makes the technolo-
course towards green fertilizer production and steam to produce hydrogen and car- gy suitable for grey and green ammonia
from nature’s elements – solar, wind ener- bon monoxide. plants.
gy, hydrogen from water– instead of fossil
fuels - and nitrogen from the air. Hydrogen is then used in ammonia syn- Meanwhile the application of the green
thesis, while carbon monoxide gets con- ammonia set-up is more favorable, due to
It, therefore, represents a significant leap verted into carbon dioxide and is largely the high purity of the synthesis gas feed-
forward for sustainability within the fertil- released into the atmosphere, increasing stock. In addition, there are hardly any
izer industry, while also offering exciting the greenhouse effect. On the other hand, inerts present within the process, which
opportunities for collaboration between the green counterparts of conventional means that the conversion per pass of the
the fertilizer and energy markets,” Dja- plants use water electrolysis for hydro- reactor is higher.
vdan added. gen production and rely on renewable
resources, like solar or wind energy, to In addition, purging can be minimized,
Stamicarbon has signed exclusive coop- power the production of ammonia. resulting in minimal (or even redundant)
eration with Argentinian-based Raybite need for ammonia recovery. The pro-
S.R.L. for the commercialization of their This eliminates fossil fuels from the pro- duced ammonia is condensed without the
small-scale ammonia technology pack- cess, resulting in a sustainable, car- need for a large dedicated refrigerating
age. bon-free output. Ammonia acts as a compressor, while a multi-service com-
building block for nitrogen fertilizers and pressor accommodates the refrigerat-
The cooperation agreement means that plays an important role in providing op- ing compression stage instead, allowing
Stamicarbon has become an ammonia timal plant nutrition, yet it is responsible for better plant reliability and substantial
licensor for small-scale ammonia plants. for one percent of the world’s greenhouse CAPEX saving compared to other tech-
By adding this technology to Stamicar- gas emissions. nologies.
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