Erasmus Shalihaxwe
The Chief Executive Officer of Daures Green Hydrogen Village (DGHV), Jerome Namaseb, says it is too early to assess revenue generation from the fertiliser production at the village.
Namaseb stated that the project has not yet reached that stage.
Namaseb made the statement during a media visit to the facility this week. He announced that the village, located in the Daures Constituency in the Erongo Region, is set to produce its first fertiliser by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
The project, supported by a N$220 million grant from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), has the capacity to produce approximately 30% of the country’s annual ammonium sulphate fertiliser consumption.
The project is in its second phase, which focuses on green fertiliser production for local and regional use from 2026 to 2029. Phase one is complete, and the project has a total of three phases.
“At present, all the fertiliser that will be produced by the end of 2026 or early 2027 will be used for local consumption. That will be predominantly by our own facility, and some will be used to support small farmers in our constituency, and of course, the remainder of our fertilised produce will be used by the local markets here in Namibia. We have already engaged with various green schemes and various off-takers to use our fertilisers, as we intend to have the fertilisers stocked in those retailers,” Namaseb said.
He estimated the production capacity at about 100 tonnes of ammonia fertiliser per year.
Namaseb pointed out a challenge with low fertiliser application rates in Africa. The continent averages 13 to 22 kg of nutrients per hectare, while the global average is 135 kg per hectare.
“Fertiliser use varies considerably across Africa, with Southern Africa generally having higher rates than other regions, while landlocked countries often face higher fertiliser prices due to transport costs,” he said.
Low fertiliser use is one of the main reasons for low crop yields in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In May last year, Namibia was identified as one of the countries yet to meet the 50 kg/ha fertiliser consumption threshold set by the Abuja Declaration.
This was revealed by then Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Anna Shiweda, at the Africa Fertiliser and Soil Health Summit in Kenya.
The Abuja Declaration, endorsed by African Union heads of state and governments in June 2006, aimed to address the low productivity of African soil. It highlighted the importance of fertilisers in agricultural growth, food security, and rural development. A key recommendation was to increase fertiliser use to 50 kg (nutrients)/ha within 10 years.
Namaseb emphasised the importance of efficient fertiliser application to improve agricultural productivity and food security.
“Challenges to increased use can result in high fertiliser costs, limited access due to supply chain issues, inadequate infrastructure, and low profitability for farmers, which are major constraints on fertiliser adoption. Farmers may also lack knowledge on appropriate application,” he added.
