N$20-million Unam mango plant to boost Zambezi livelihoods

The University of Namibia (Unam) plans to expand its food-processing plant in the Zambezi region, aiming to boost local producers, create jobs, and strengthen the regional economy.

Residents say the university’s plans to upscale the plant into a N$20-million mango-processing project would create a sustainable market for local producers.

Unam spokesperson Simon Namesho last week confirmed that the university plans to upscale the current facility to a commercial mango-processing plant, which would be co-funded by the government with 80%. He said the university will provide technical expertise in product development, quality control, testing, design, and marketing, supported by skilled personnel, on top of its annual financial commitments towards the initiative.

“The abundance of mangoes in the Zambezi region presented a unique opportunity to support local agro-industrialisation and reduce post-harvest losses. Through this project, Unam aims to create employment, enhance food security, support mango growers, and contribute to Namibia’s broader value-addition agenda,” he said.

Namesho said the food-processing plant, which is being operated under the Centre for Innovation and Development, is already operational and fully equipped at both the Katima Mulilo and Neudamm campuses, with newly acquired cold-storage facilities.

“The centre at Katima Mulilo currently produces mango juice, dried mango strips, and mango jam, all available at the centre and select outlets.

“It has the capacity to process about 100 litres of juice per hour and produces jams from mangoes, mutete, and maguni. Once fully scaled, the plant is envisioned to supply both domestic and international markets,” he said. According to Namesho, the university is sourcing its products from local producers to promote local sourcing and empower smallholder farmers. “The centre applies standard operating procedures and follows hazard analysis and critical control point principles to ensure quality and food safety in all procurement and processing stages,” he said.

A local expert in fresh produce, Castrow Muunda, commends the initiative, saying it would greatly reduce the spoilage of mangoes, as well as motivate local producers to upscale on the primary production side.

“It will also create employment opportunities for the youth in food systems,” he says.

Another local, Sinvula Mudabeti, says the processing plant would add much-needed value to raw mangoes within the region as opposed to exporting them for value addition.

This will improve the livelihoods of local producers, he says.

“It will also help local residents with much-needed skills in value addition and boost the local economy by creating alternative economic opportunities for the residents. The Zambezi region will thus slowly regain its place in being the breadbasket of Namibia,” Mudabeti says.

Katima Mulilo-based community activist Dobson Kwala says the region does, however, not have a large mango plantation, which is cause for concern about the plant’s sustainability. He says he foresees that the bulk of Zambian mangoes would be processed at the Unam plant.

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