Allexer Namundjembo
Local farmer Marcus Kambulu, a resident of Mayana in rural Rundu, says the Kavango Region has the potential to become Namibia’s food basket if farmers make better use of fertile land and seasonal rains.
“We have the land with fertile soil, and we receive good rain sometimes,” Kambulu said while speaking to the Windhoek Observer on Friday.
“Kavango must be the food basket of Namibia.”
Kambulu currently relies on rain-fed agriculture and plants crops that add nutrition back into the soil.
He uses traditional crop rotation to improve soil quality and plans to add conservation methods to boost production.
“I farm crop rotation to improve the soil quality, and my aim is to use conservation in crop rotation to improve production with the soil quality,” he explained.
Water remains the main challenge. Kambulu’s farm is about one kilometre from a community irrigation project linked to the Okavango River.
“Water is rain-fed, and I plant crops that add nutrition to the soil. I am looking forward to having river water from the main community irrigation project. It is a one-kilometre distance, and it will help improve my project from rain-fed to irrigation from the Kavango River,” Kambulu said.
The move to irrigation is expected to increase yields and allow farming throughout the year, not just during the rainy season.
Currently, Kambulu works with community members. He said what motivates him is the living condition of their cultural lifestyle.
“Financially, I received a donation from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) under the research programme on food production,” Kambulu said.
He said he was one of the lead farmers in the region, coordinating the project with professors, and expressed a desire to continue the project after the contract ended.
“In every activity, I work with 10 to 12 community labourers, mainly unemployed youth. I export to Windhoek and supply locally,” he said.
Youth leader Moses Tobias responded to the project, saying community members can use opportunities such as the availability of water in their areas to meet the demand for food in their communities.
“The two Kavango regions have access to the river, and if communities are empowered like Kambulu, they can solve the problem of food shortages in their communities,” he said.
He also called on the community to utilise water resources for their benefit.
“Let us not just rely on imported food from other countries. We can also farm and produce food for other communities,” he said.
Kambulu is requesting assistance to improve his production and expand the project. He can be reached on his mobile number at 0813638887.
