Kamwi opens maize meal shop at Oshakati
Former minister of health and now farmer Richard Kamwi opened a newly established white maize meal retail at Okandjengedi in Oshakati on Friday.
The Vuche Vuche store was officially opened by the Minister of Industrialisation and Trade, Lucia Iipumbu last week.
According to Kamwi who solely owns the Vuche Vuche store, he produces maize meal at his farm in Grootfontein.
“I sell the cheapest maize meal in the country. My prices per bag are N$50 for 5 kg, N$79.50 for 10 kg, 165 for 20 kg, and N$399 for 50 kg,” he said.
Kamwi further said once they acquire their own milling machine, the current prices might drop even lower.
“This far, 240 tons of maize meal bags were sold, with 60 tons still available in the warehouse,” he said, adding their goal is to supply affordable maize meal countrywide and hopefully venture into exports to Angola.
Iipumbu at the opening stated that the business shows Namibians can produce sufficient food products for self-reliance and export, especially given the new developments around the globe, which can lead to food shortages due to an over-reliance on imports
“Vuche Vuche contributes immensely to the transformation of the economy,” Iipumbu said.
She added that Namibia is endowed with significant human and natural resources that can be used to advance industrialisation and structural economic transformation through value addition strategies in all sectors, but particularly in agriculture and agro-processing private sector investment.
“Our growth at home strategy reinforces the importance of accelerating economic growth, reducing income inequality, and increasing employment,” she noted.
She advised Namibians to develop value chains that are based on raw materials available in the country.
“’ Let’s also be cognisant of the regional value chains through which we could accelerate regional economic integration,” she added.