Published May 14, 2012 08:14
The Meatco Foundation officially handed over its first project to its beneficiaries in the Kavango region on Wednesday, 9 May 2012.
Several dignitaries were present to witness the handover, including the Governor of the Kavango Region, Maurus Nekaro, the Chief of Mbunza, Alfons Kaundo and the Regional Councilor for the Kapako Constituency, Frieda Siwombe. Also present were the donors, the Chairperson of the Meatco Foundation, Helmut Angula and several members of the community.
The project comprised the drilling of two boreholes to supply water to eight smallholder farmers in the Mbunza area in the Kavango region. The area is known for the vast distances farmers are required to travel to reach water points, which serves as a major challenge for agricultural development in the area.
Speaking at the event, Governor Nekaro said that 940 190 hectares of land suitable for commercial agriculture lies unutilized or underutilized in the Kavango region. He said that the situation could be attributed to the water situation in the region.
“Although the Kavango Region is blessed with the Kavango River, this particular resource is only accessible to a few of us living on the borderline,” he said.
The Governor added that 516 small-scale commercial farms have been identified that were in need of infrastructure development in the region and that 116 of those units fall within the Mbunza area. He said that since the development of farms in the area was in its infancy, it was quite good timing for the Meatco Foundation to come on board. He invited other development partners to do the same.
According to the Governor, Meatco has established itself as a reliable market in the region for communal producers, but that transport costs, the issue of the Red Line and outbreaks of diseases are still limiting factors to the marketing process.