Aletta Shikololo
WINDHOEK – Namibian-registered company that produces high-value agricultural crops for the international market won the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.
The award was presented by the company’s Managing Director to the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry Alpheus !Naruseb at the agriculture ministry office yesterday.
The Khalifa Awards are effectively the highest body of International Date Agricultural Accreditation and Acknowledgment, which are under the patronage of the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Speaking at the ceremony, the agriculture minister said Desert Fruit are the joint winners in the category of Pioneering Development and Production, together with one of the largest date farms in the world, SAHAM Agricultural Project from Morocco.
“This is a great reflection on Namibia, as Desert Fruit is a business progeny of Namibia built on the achievements and inspiration of the NDC Green Scheme Project at Naute Dam in Keetmanshoop, //Kharas Region,” said the minister who also noted the award is not only significant to Desert fruit but to Namibia as well.
“These businesses as initiated by the Government of Namibia, by the ministry of agriculture and the Namibia Development Corporation (NDC), have paved the way for the success of Desert Fruit,” he stated. The Managing Director of Desert Fruit, Seth Holmes who was so ecstatic to receive the award said the award recognises Desert Fruit Namibia for their invaluable contribution to the date agricultural sector, with special emphasis on the high quality, tonnage and variety that Desert Fruit produces and the fact that all of this is achieved in the Southern Hemisphere.
Holmes stated, “This award also takes cognisance of the contribution to the local community, DF recognises we are not singular and it is with the help of our community, our government structures, our supportive ministries, that we can achieve what we have.”
The minister said the agricultural industry is capable of leading the country in producing jobs, bringing valuable growth of the country’s GDP and assisting in the growth of the economy and concluded that the nation should pride itself in competing in the global economic amphitheatre.