In the Omusati Region, where concerns over food security are mounting due to the impending drought, rice cultivation is expanding. The University of Namibia’s Ogongo Campus, strategically located in the Cuvelai- Etosha Basin of north-central Namibia, plays a pivotal role in this development. Specialising in agriculture, natural resource management and environmental science, Ogongo has become a hub for advancing expertise in these critical areas.
Last year, Debmarine Namibia sponsored agricultural equipment for the Ogongo Campus, aiming to bolster rice production, enhance poultry development projects and support research, training, and community chicken production activities. This investment has proven fruitful, with the campus achieving a significant milestone of harvesting 17 tonnes of rice from seven hectares – an impressive increase from its previous yield on three hectares. Plans are now underway to further expand the rice production to 10 hectares.
The success of Debmarine Namibia’s sponsorship was recently celebrated at the Annual Rice Harvest Festival, themed “Enhancing Household Food Security through Rice and Poultry Farming.” The festival recognised several poultry and rice farmers for their dedication and hard work. Debmarine Namibia CEO Willy Mertens, in attendance at the festival, expressed gratitude to the University of Namibia (UNAM) for equipping farmers with valuable knowledge, which has been showcased through their impressive agricultural projects.
“I am thrilled to see farmers taking proactive steps to enhance our country’s food security. I encourage our farmers to utilise the training provided by our students and trainers to improve their production,” remarked Mertens. He highlighted the critical role of initiatives like wetland rice in boosting food security by harnessing rainwater.
Mertens commended the Japanese government and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for initiating the rice cultivation programme at UNAM’s Ogongo Campus. “Our decision to support the expansion of rice cultivation at UNAM’s Ogongo Campus builds upon the solid foundation laid by JICA,” he added.
UNAM’s vice-chancellor, Prof. Kenneth Matengu, echoed these sentiments, noting that since JICA’s involvement in 2012, the campus has been instrumental in training local farmers in rice cultivation and providing ongoing support in rice processing, significantly advancing agricultural development in the region. He thanked Debmarine Namibia for their invaluable support, which enabled the campus to procure essential poultry equipment, thereby increasing the poultry hatchery capacity from 370 to an impressive 4,000 chicks annually.
Debmarine Namibia’s support, valued at N$750,000, included crucial equipment such as an incubator for fertilised eggs, chicken cages, chick crates, a pelleting machine, heat lamps, a beverage cooler, a water pump, irrigation pipes for rice paddies and rice seedling trays, among others.
