The 2024 Nedbank for Good Series, which concluded last Friday, successfully raised N$250 000 to support Agra ProVision in its efforts to assist underprivileged farmers. The successful completion of the series highlights the effectiveness of collaboration, innovation and community engagement. Since its inception five years ago, the series has united golfers and stakeholders from various...
Agriculture
The flip side of a good rainy season
A good rainy season should be perceived as one that starts in time as anticipated, is well distributed throughout the season, and ultimately rehydrates the soil, refills water sources, and revegetates the rangeland. However, recent rainfall activities have been conspicuously erratic, and their effects can be a concern. To this end, although rainfall brings relief...
Opinion – Vital information for your pitch, business plan
Having covered how to pitch your business to investors and lenders in our previous column, we will now dive into the financial information that is required to accompany your pitch, specifically to lenders. Lenders will generally require the cash flow budget and the statement of assets and liabilities as part of any loan application. They...
Young farmer Boois steals hearts at Karibib show …empowering women through farming
KARIBIB – At just 32 years of age, Elaine Boois is stepping up to become one of Namibia’s foremost female farmers after she made headlines at the recent Araf Agricultural Show in Karibib. She stood out as the only female competitor as she boldly took on her more experienced male counterparts in a field that...
Namibia to comply with EU deforestation law … beef sector most affected
The Livestock and Livestock Products’ Board of Namibia has set the wheels in motion by making sure that local farmers and beef-exporting abattoirs comply with the new and highly-stringent European Union deforestation regulations. The new regulations, which will come into effect on 1 January 2025, will require all countries, trade partners and companies seeking to...
Agronomic board awards top producers… donates N$1m towards drought
The Namibia Agronomic Board at its annual National Agronomic and Horticulture Awards (NAHA) recognised and awarded the country’s various top producers during a glittering ceremony that was recently held at the Olushandja Marketing Hub in the Omusati region. For this year, the annual awards were held under the theme ‘Enhancing food security amidst climate change...
Farmers’ kraal – How farmers can manage veld fires
Rangeland productivity is influenced by several factors such as rainfall soil condition, fire, herbivory, and other ecological forces like plant competition, amongst others. In addition, human activities cannot be ignored when it comes to rangeland utilisation. The adverse influence of these factors can disturb the normal ecological processes, leading to rangeland degradation. One of the...
Part 2: Pitching your business to lenders, investors
As we continue from our last article about understanding different investors and their interests, it’s imperative to tailor your pitch deck to your audience. A topic I presented at the African Union MSME forum, themed “Fostering financial empowerment and educational innovations for African startups and MSMEs” on Tuesday 10 September 2024 sparked further engagement after...
Haiyambo: Lack of Halal certification problematic
With access to the European market getting stringent by the day due to several new regulations and policy barriers, now is the right time for Namibia to secure its Halal certification to explore the hugely-lucrative Middle East markets. These were observations of the Bank of Namibia’s director of research and financial sector development, Emma Haiyambo. ...
Water scarcity cripples gardens in Epukiro… more boreholes needed
Zebaldt Ngaruka OHAMBO JATATE – General water scarcity, exacerbated by ongoing drought conditions, continues to be the most significant challenge facing community garden initiatives in the Epukiro constituency of the Omaheke region. AgriTodayconducted a visit to various garden initiatives within the constituency, and observed that numerous projects are facing challenges in attaining optimal yields due...