By John Muyamba
RUNDU – The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF), John Mutorwa, last Thursday officially opened the N$36-million Rundu National Agricultural Technology Centre (NATC).
NATC is the first of its kind in Namibia.
The facility was built over a period of 19 months and its founding objective is to set up a comprehensive agricultural machinery and equipment management system in order to support farmers at national green scheme projects as well as subsistence farmers in the entire country.
Speaking at the official opening, Mutorwa said the MAWF’s agency, AGRIBUSDEV, will be working closely with the ministry’s Directorate of Agriculture Production, Extension and Engineering Services and it will be at the centre and forefront in the co-ordination and supervision of NATC’s activities, functions and services.
“The government’s adopted and approved policy of public private partnership (PPP) will be recognised and is envisaged to play a pivotal role in the management of NATCs,” Mutorwa said.
The new centre will also be involved in assembling, repairing as well as maintenance of all agricultural machinery and it will also do scientific research and development that can and will lead to the manufacturing and establishment of new and suitable agricultural technologies in Namibia, he stressed.
“This centre is the first of its kind in Namibia and it is meant to practically provide the following essential services to Namibia’s farming communities. It will provide repairs, servicing of farm implements that would, for example, come in a knocked down or semi-knocked down form from various manufacturers, adaptation of implements and equipment to make them more appropriate or user-friendly within the context of Namibia’s local needs and conditions,” Mutorwa stated.
“Besides being involved in scientific research and technology development activities, the technical centre will also sell spare parts as well as manufacturing of accessories like bolts and nuts. So, farmers won’t need to order these parts elsewhere,” said the agricuture minister.
“There is indeed no doubt that, with this centre in operation, farmers will be more appropriately assisted in terms of their precious time and valuable money that they had to spend in travelling long distances to receive those essential services,” Mutorwa assured farmers.
He noted that technologies embed in hardware would be meaningless unless they are accompanied by knowledge and skills and he urged vocational training centres and other institutions to work with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry.
“It will be of no use and value for our economy to acquire machinery and implements that we cannot operate and that we cannot service, in that regard, I would like to use this opportunity to specifically invite and urge vocational training centres and institutions of higher learning that are tasked with the creation and imparting of appropriate knowledge, technologies and skills to work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry and this centre,” he said.
Apart from the new facility, a similar centre is currently being constructed at Ongwediva in the Oshana Region and it is expected to be completed by November this year.