Maihapa Ndjavera
WINDHOEK – Last year’s Economist Businesswoman of the Year award winner Hilja Amvula, who is the co-founder of a pig and poultry business, says the award was the fuel needed to boost the agricultural production engine.
“NaNi Agri Producer focuses on farming and strives within the agricultural industry to focus more on pig and poultry farming, fodder and vegetation production, still at a feasibility level,” said Amvula.
According to Amvula, the award served as an assurance that she has something that Namibia needs, particularly in the area of food production and poverty reduction. “This award strengthened the existing relationship between NaNi Agri Producer and the Tsandi Constituency Council, including several traditional leaders in mobilising resources to make the project a reality, of which the process is ongoing,” she said.
She noted that meeting several businesswomen at the business awards conference was an awakening experience. “The business has made significant progress although is still in the process of finding a concrete foundation, specifically creating a market. At the moment the project is still at the local market phase where my customers are local people at open markets who buy pork and chicken,” explained Amvula.
The 22-year-old entrepreneur said her other enterprises are hampered by lack of funds. “As time goes, I look forward to establishing a market where other farmers and youth, particularly unemployed graduates, can be accommodated.”
This market, she adds, is one that will see entrepreneurs in this sector add to Namibia becoming an independent food-producing nation, while at the same time enhancing the regional market with other SADC nations.
“The beginning is never easy for anyone; the same principle applies to my beginning which is yet to find a concrete establishment, which is due to a lack of funding with farming, particularly of poultry and pig, regarded as high risk and prone to diseases,” she said.