OPM donates tractor to Nakalega irrigation project
OKATANA - The Office of the Prime Minister on Monday handed over a hand-held tractor worth N$70 000 to the Nakalega Irrigation Project in the Okatana constituency in the Oshana region.
The handover is in line with government efforts to increase food production, address malnutrion and lessen the dependency on food imports as enshrined in the national food and nutrition security policy, which was launched at Nakalega in 2021.
Speaking at the event, the executive director (ED) in the OPM I-Ben Nashandi said the realisation of the food security policy revolves around communities engaging in food production, and for government to capacitate these projects in order to grow and be able to sustain food production.
“Our being here is really just to provide a small token to the project by donating a handheld tractor. With this tractor, we want to encourage the project to start embracing technology in agriculture, and thereby increase food production,” he said.
Nashandi noted that government is committed to assist all projects where there is demonstrated commitment to succeed.
The ED said according to the last vulnerability assessment, 239 000 Namibians are facing food shortages.
This year’s vulnerability assessment statistics will be no different from last year’s, as farmers were either hit by severe floods, or they have not received sufficient rainfall.
In addressing the food shortages in the country, Nashandi said projects like Nakalega, which has access to water, should be encouraged to produce food so that they become the footprint for food production in the localities they are currently situated.
He observed that the absence of food production would require the country to import food to address the food shortages expected to hit this year.
“But if we were to upscale projects such as this one, we should be able to link whatever is produced in these projects to government’s social programmes. In this manner, we will be able to feed all the regions,” the ED continued.
On behalf of the entity, farm manager Erikana Namboga encouraged other youth to engage in agriculture in order to fight food insecurity by producing food for the local market, and to export when the market allows.