Justicia Shipena
The Etunda Irrigation Project in the Omusati region has harvested about 60 tonnes of mangoes from its 60-hectare mango orchard this week.
The harvest was revealed on Wednesday during a visit by the minister of information and communication technology, Emma Theofelus, who toured the scheme to assess its operations and impact.
The mangoes are graded and packed into different categories before being sold to local traders.
The produce supports many livelihoods, as local people buy in bulk and resell to earn income.
Theofelus also acknowledged the surplus mango harvest and said it presents an opportunity for affordable local fruit juice production.
This initiative is already being explored in collaboration with the University of Namibia.
During the visit, Theofelus raised concern about vandalism and theft at the scheme, warning that such actions threaten one of the government’s agricultural projects.
“That is very disheartening because as a community vandalises or steals the produce at the scheme, it impacts the success of the scheme, and we don’t want that,” she said.
She says vandalism affects daily operations and puts jobs, food production and long-term development at risk.
She said addressing vandalism and theft will require engagement with community leaders and residents.
“A lot of conversations need to be held with the community leadership and the community members themselves so they value what is in their community and add value to it so it contributes to the country’s development,” she said.
Theofelus said the visit was aimed at understanding the work being done at Etunda, especially after recent changes and the onboarding of new farmers on available plots.
She said agriculture remains central to national development because food security underpins economic growth.
“Agriculture is a very valuable aspect of governing this country because once we have our food basket properly maintained, we can develop from there,” she said.
During the tour, Theofelus learnt that farmers at Etunda grow a range of crops, including grapes, naartjies, maize, mangoes and vegetables. Bananas have also been introduced on a trial basis.
She said the variety of crops shows the scheme’s potential to strengthen food production and support local livelihoods.
Theofelus said the scheme plays an important role in job creation. It employs up to 450 Namibians as casual workers each year.
“That is valuable,” she said.
She said her office plans to work with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure communities are informed about the importance of the scheme and its contribution to national development.
“This is why we came to look at the scheme, to see the work that they’re doing and to better understand what they might need in terms of support, so that we can inform the community about the valuable work the scheme is doing and how they need to support the activities happening here,” she said.
Etunda also produces carrots, onions, tomatoes, maize and cabbage, which are sold at affordable prices to the public.
Theofelus said protecting the scheme is key to ensuring its continued contribution to food security, employment and economic growth.
