THE IREMA PROJECT HOSTS HORTICULTURE PRODUCTION TRAINING OF TRAINERS IN KHORIXAS

Khorixas, Friday, 28th January 2022 - The IREMA Project hosts Training of Trainers on Horticulture Production in Khorixas, Kunene Region.

The Agricultural sector still remains the central lives of the large part of the Namibia population and hence agricultural production and a lack of timely access to quality certified seeds, and also farm machinery/equipment necessary for effective land preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting and transportation vehicles have hugely impacted the livelihoods of Namibians in general and more specifically in the drought stricten Kunene Region. The training highlighted on techniques to reduce vulnerability and improving food security through Drought Tolerant crops.

In his opening remarks Mr. Charlie Mwaetako, the Chief Agricultural Officer of the Ministry of

Agriculture, Water and land Reform in the Kunene Region, welcomed all to the training and thanked

the Environmental Invesmnet Fund and IREMA Project for unveiling fundig for this training of lead

farmers. He further alluded that the situation of crop production in the Kunene region

is critical as the region is hazard-prone areas, where poor and vulnerable farmers may not even have access to the traditional sources of seed of their preferred varieties and are not well acquonted with planting

and hence this training provides an opportunity for famers to learn and to become leading farmers.

Leading the facilitation of the training was Dr. Lydia Ndinelao Horn, Senior Lecturer and Researcher at the University of Namibia. Dr. Horn denoted in her facilitation that “there is aneed to diversify crop production and depending on seasons”. She is also alluded to the fact that in order increase resilience of farming systems to the various disatsers or human induced hazards farmers need to get an opportunity to get seeds of various crops that can perfom under the challenging conditions the Kunene region is experiencing.

The training was aimed at providing skills that empower farmers with knowledge on horticulture production and to improve their cropping practices. This was done through the following sub-topics: The easiest way of growing vegetables, Reasons for owning your garden, Different ways of planting vegetables, Ideal conditions for crwating a vegetable garden, Soil management, Insect/Pest management, Weed management, Water management, Harvesting, Post-harvest and storage, Grading and packaging and Marketing of produce.

One of the trained farmers, Mr. Charles Boois was estatic about the training, “I will surely make sure

that I empower surrounding farmers in my area and I will ensure that with the skills attained that I

improve on my plantation skills and move towards plantimg seasonal crops instead of the same

crops over and over again, says Mr. Boois.

The training brought together 45 farmers that were choosen from the Sesfontein Constituency and

Khorixas District aread to be the lead farmers that are being trained so that they can go and train

other community members upon completion. The training also saw five (5) Extension officers from

the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform and as the Ministry is jointly implementing the

IREMA Project with the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia that is accredited to the Green

Climate Fund.

The selected farmers that attended the training have in past received agroforestry seedlings and will

in this year received Drip Irrigation materials to assist them with their horticulture production. The

training also shared mechanisms and techniques that enhance crop varieties that produce higher

yileds during a shorter growing period and that emplored particpants on using Cowpea that is

associated with adding nitrogen to the soil hence reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizers and

therefore boosting soil ferility and providing a more susaonable crop yield.

Delivering closing remarks was Mr. Lot Ndamanomhata, the Manager for Corporate Communications at the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia, who thanked all the participants, workshop facilitators, stakeholders and encourage the lead farmers to ensure that they go in their communiies and share the knowledge attained over the two days training. He further denoted that the farmers should procure goods from each other in order to ensure that the ripple effce of their produce remains within their communities and this will lead to not only improvement in their livelihoods but also generate possible incomes for individuals and homesteads.

The training concluded with a demonstration at the garden of Mr. Charles Boois a farmer that participated in he training. This practical demonstration gave f

The training commenced Thursday, 27 January 2022 and concluded on Friday, 28 January 2022.