HILJA Amvula has managed to finally get to live her dream. The young, visionary full-time farmer grabbed an opportunity to venture into piggery farming when she failed to secure employment after her graduation in 2017. Amvula holds an Honours Degree in Fisheries and Aquatic Science from the University of Namibia; she is now pursuing her Master›s in the same field.

According to Amvula, after months of searching for employment opportunities, she met her former lecturer, who introduced her to a local female farmer in the area of Okondjatu, in the Otjozondjupa region, where she started producing and selling different feed for animals.

In 2019, she was awarded an innovative businesswoman of the year award at a women›s business conference held in Windhoek. With her prize money, she bought five piglets.

A local farmer sponsored her with five more piglets to help her establish her piggery business at her mother’s homestead at the Omaku village in Sandi constituency, Omusati region. As her business grew, she acquired a larger piece of land, 2km from the T-junction of Iitananga-Omakange road, where she is farming with pigs and growing yellow maize and sunflowers to complement her pigs› feed and to cut the costs of feed.

«The intervention of Agribank has been helpful. You know, as a start-up farmer, I always attended Agribank training and lectures that opened my eyes to different farming aspects and agribusiness investment opportunities. Agribank›s mentor for the northern regions, Pendukeni Hamunyela, visits my farm regularly,» she explained.

She, thus, urged young people who have ideas of venturing into farming not to allow the lack of land or start-up capital to prevent them from living their dreams.

- Agribank