Lüderitz
Six groups were recently handed land measuring six hectares for agricultural projects, by !Nami#nus Constituency Councilor Jan Scholtz.
The !Nami#nus Constituency Office in close collaboration with the Lüderitz Town Council, the //Karas Regional Council and the Institute for Management and Leadership Training (IMLT), identified the development of a small-scale urban agriculture project below the Lüderitz sewage works. This was seen as an opportunity to convert waste water and land resources into a viable business venture, through which not only jobs could be created and income generated for the community, but food produced for locals as well.
Currently, nearly 100 percent of all food traded in the local economy is being
imported from elsewhere in Namibia, or from other parts of the SADC region. Ten hectares were obtained from Namdeb for the agricultural project but only six hectares were serviced and distributed to the group. The other four hectares still need to be serviced.
Once the land is serviced, Lüderitz would be able to grow a variety of fodder crops that could be availed to the local small-scale dairy sector to enable it to produce a wide range of dairy products for the community.
The land was distributed to Lucks (Okakovelua Group), Canitas Lüderitz, Mambo’s Trading Enterprises, Agatha Agriculture Project, Disability Lüderitz Association and the Oscar Koss Group. During the handing over of the land the !Nami#nus Constituency Councillor Jan Scholtz said all the activities to be carried out on the land will be critical in ensuring food security, while empowering the people and youth of Lüderitz.
“All this should be in line with the mandate laid out by President Hage Geingob: to ensure poverty eradication and ensure that the spirit of harambee is manifested all over the great Namibia,” said Scholtz.
Scholtz called upon on all recipients to respect the land availed to them and to ensure it is utilized to its full potential.