EPALELA – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has announced the planned transformation of the Epalela Aqua-Fish Farm into a fully integrated farming hub.

It aims at enhancing sustainable food production and agricultural efficiency in the Omusati region.

This development was confirmed by the ministry’s executive director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, during a recent visit to the facility.

“We have the fishponds for fish production, a reservoir where water from the ponds is drained, and a pump system already in place to irrigate the three hectares of land that will soon be cleared by our labourers,” she said.

 “The farm already has the necessary infrastructure to support this integrated farming model,” she added.

As part of this transformation, three hectares of land adjacent to the fishponds will be cleared for horticultural production. 

A key feature of the model is the use of nutrient-rich water from the fishponds to irrigate crops. This will significantly reduce the need for additional inputs while promoting environmentally sustainable practices.

In addition to the developments at Epalela, the executive director also announced the ministry’s intention to revive the fish feed processing plant at the Onavivi Inland Aquaculture Centre, located in the Omusati region. 

Horticultural produce from Epalela is expected to supply some of the raw materials for fish feed production, establishing a sustainable, local supply chain between the two facilities.

“These are the low-hanging fruits for the ministry as we work to ensure that Namibia becomes more self-sustaining by producing nutritious food locally and reducing dependency on imported goods,” Nghituwamata added.

Her visit forms part of a broader regional tour to engage with ministry personnel, assess ongoing projects and familiarise herself with the operations of the newly integrated fisheries directorates in the northern regions.