Patience Makwele
The Zambezi region’s ambition to position itself as Namibia’s food basket remains under pressure despite millions of dollars being invested in agricultural development, with the region’s Governor Dorothy Kabula acknowledging that the flagship Kalimbeza Rice Project continues to be hamstrung by long-standing operational challenges, including a broken processing machine, inadequate storage facilities and the lack of a reliable market.
Delivering her State of the Region Address (SORA) on Monday in Katima Mulilo, Kabula said government had spent about N$40 million on planting, harvesting and bird-scaring operations at the Kalimbeza Rice Project but persistent operational bottlenecks continue to frustrate efforts to unlock its full production potential.
The governor said the project’s rice processing machine has remained out of service since 2018, forcing workers to sort rice manually while inadequate storage facilities continue to limit the scheme’s capacity to handle bumper harvests.
“I therefore call upon disaster risk management under the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to prioritise Kalimbeza rice for distribution during drought relief and flood assistance programmes to ensure the stock produced at the project is utilised,” she said.
Kabula stressed that the region’s vision of becoming the country’s food basket would remain difficult to achieve unless the project’s longstanding operational constraints are addressed.
“The realisation of Zambezi as the country’s food basket must be evident,” she said.
Established under the government’s Green Scheme Programme to strengthen national food security and reduce dependence on imported rice, the Kalimbeza Rice Project has for years struggled with recurring operational setbacks, including equipment failures, flooding, storage limitations and market access challenges despite repeated government interventions.
During the 2025/26 period under review, the project planted 46 hectares and harvested 137 tonnes of rice.
However, the governor said limited storage capacity remains a major obstacle while the absence of a functioning processing machine continues to delay value addition and commercial distribution.
Kabula said resolving these challenges would enable the project to maximise production and contribute meaningfully to national food security while creating opportunities for farmers and rural communities.
Acting chief regional officer Beaven Walubita said agriculture remains one of the region’s key economic drivers but requires stronger coordination among government institutions, development partners and local stakeholders.
“We need to work with all development partners,” Walubita said, adding that improved rural water supply, road infrastructure, electrification and agricultural support services are critical to unlocking Zambezi’s productive potential.
He said recurring floods continue to affect agricultural production, damage infrastructure and slow the implementation of development projects across the region, making coordinated investment essential.
The governor reported that the government continues to support farmers through a range of agricultural subsidy programmes.
Adding that during the current reporting period, about 351 farmers benefited from dry-land crop production subsidies, while additional farmers received support under horticulture, poultry, livestock and conservation agriculture initiatives.
She also highlighted progress at Farm Vineta No. 2029 irrigation scheme which is now managed by the Namibia Correctional Service, where irrigation infrastructure is being upgraded, while Singalamwe’s Mango Bliss Farm has expanded production to more than 2,000 fruit trees, with hundreds more seedlings under cultivation.
Speaking after the address, Zambezi Vocational Training Centre manager Richard Kambinda said sustained investment in technical and vocational education would be critical to supporting agriculture and broader economic growth.
He said enrolment at the vocational training centre had increased from between 500 and 600 trainees in recent years to 778, with the institution targeting more than 1 000 trainees as new programmes and facilities are introduced.
“Our TVET system must become a choice, not just an option,” Kambinda said, adding that graduates are increasingly creating businesses and employment opportunities in sectors such as agriculture, construction and manufacturing.
While highlighting progress in infrastructure, education and water development, Kabula acknowledged that recurring floods, funding constraints, youth unemployment and operational shortcomings at strategic agricultural projects continue to slow the region’s development.
She said overcoming those obstacles will be essential if Zambezi is to fulfil its long-held ambition of becoming Namibia’s agricultural hub and a major contributor to the country’s food security.
