Staff Reporter
THE Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has announced the planned transformation of the Epalela Aqua-Fish Farm into a fully integrated farming hub aimed at enhancing sustainable food production and agricultural efficiency in the Omusati Region.
The Ministry’s Executive Director, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, who visited the facility recently, said that the necessary infrastructure is already in place.
“We have the fish ponds for fish production, a reservoir where water from the ponds is drained, and a pump system already in place to irrigate the three hectares of land that will soon be cleared by our labourers,” she said.
Video: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water & Land Reform
Photos: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water & Land Reform
As part of the transformation, three hectares of land adjacent to the fish ponds will be cleared for horticultural production. Nghituwamata said that the use of nutrient-rich water from the fish ponds to irrigate crops will significantly reduce the need for additional inputs while promoting environmentally sustainable practices.
In addition to the developments at Epalela, she also announced the Ministry’s intention to revive the fish feed processing plant at the Onavivi Inland Aquaculture Centre, also located in the Omusati Region.
Horticultural produce from Epalela is expected to supply some of the raw materials for fish feed production, establishing a sustainable, local supply chain between the two facilities.
“These are the low-hanging fruits for the Ministry as we work to ensure that Namibia becomes more self-sustaining by producing nutritious food locally and reducing dependency on imported goods,” she added.
