Date exports to Middle East by 2014

THE United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) agricultural group, Al Dahra Agricultural Company, is investing about N$140 million for its date export operations from Namibia to the Middle East.

The Middle East North Africa Financial Network (MENAFN) on Sunday quoted an official from Al Dahra Agricultural Company, Abdulkadir Yousef, on its website as saying that its export operations to the Middle East will start in 2014.The Namibia Development Corporation (NDC) joined forces with the Al Dahra Agricultural Company in 2008 to produce the Medjool and Barhee date varieties on a commercial scale at Naute Farm.This farm is situated about 40 kilometres south of Keetmanshoop in the Karas Region, and currently employs around 340 people.The farm will have a yearly production capacity of 2 500 tonnes, and aims to provide dates all-year-around.Cabinet announced last May that the NDC and the Abu Dhabi-based company would team up for the project, and that Government would lease a piece of land, measuring 220 hectares, to the two companies.Al Dahra, which runs similar projects in the United States of America, Spain, Italy, Poland, Canada and Pakistan, approached Government, expressing interest in entering into a joint venture with the NDC for grape and date production.The NDC has already been running the project since the early 1990s, but Al Dahra expressed the need to have more land added to the existing project to accommodate new activities for production.Since 1998, the NDC has exported dates annually to European markets, including France, Britain and Spain.Cabinet then approved what it intends to transform into an established commercial date plantation that would serve as a hub for further date palm development in the country.Cabinet did not indicate how much equity Al Dahra would have in the joint venture, but did indicate that between ten and 15 per cent shares must be reserved for project employees.’The target of the development is to produce 2 000 tonnes of high-quality dates, and 270 tonnes of table grapes annually.It is envisaged that the project will provide 180 permanent job opportunities and 850 seasonal job opportunities, bringing the total to 1 030 job opportunities,’ Cabinet said.The lease agreement spans for 50 years, and is renewable. – Nampa

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.