Maggy Thomas
Uvhungu-Vhungu
The assistant manager at the Uvhungu-Vhungu irrigation project has signalled to the government to acquire cattle for the dairy farm near completion in the Kavango East.
Linus Tashiya told Nampa on Monday that the government can acquire 500 cattle for the time being, but the facility can accommodate more than that.
He was speaking on the sidelines of Vice-President Nickey Iyambo’s visit to the farm.
The first phase of the farm is complete, while components including accommodation for staff, a water treatment plant and refrigeration are under construction.
“The facility is ready to accommodate cattle and land is available to plant fodder for the cattle,” he said, noting that more than 200 hectares of the 290 hectares could be used to grow fodder.
The N$250 million dairy farm started in 2012 and is expected to be fully operational by 2019.
It is part of the government’s green scheme and is meant to produce milk for the two Kavango regions, with the possibility to export milk to neighbouring Angola.
The farm, located 10 kilometres east of Rundu, recently commenced with a drastic transformation to become a sustainable food production arm of the government.
It produces maize, wheat, mahangu for seeds and various horticultural produce such as butternuts, onions, cabbages, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach and watermelons.
The maize grains are sent to the National Strategic Food Reserve, while vegetable produce are sold locally.
Iyambo and his entourage will on Tuesday meet the communities from the two Kavango regions to discuss solutions to problems and challenges they face.
Iyambo has visited all green scheme projects in both Kavango regions and paid courtesy calls on the hompas of various traditional authorities during his visit that started last Thursday and ends today. – Nampa