THE agricultural sector in Namibia is struggling with a lack of skilled people.
Most farmers run their business with a high level of experience and efficient gut feeling, but with low specific or scientific knowledge, while professionally trained farmworkers are also scarce, according to some experts. To address this deficiency, farmers in the Windhoek area started last year to establish a training college, which will open its doors for 25 students this week in the buildings of the former Aris Hotel just 20 kilometres south of Windhoek. The Krumhuk farming community, together with the Windhoek Farmers’ Association and other individuals, founded the Agricultural Training Centre to be called ATC Krumhuk. ‘With donations from Germany and USA the former hotel was converted to house classrooms and a hostel,’ says Ekkehard Külbs, one of the founders. ‘A cowshed and gardens are being added.’According to Külbs, students must have a minimum of Grade 10 and must be younger than 25 years at entrance level. ‘They will start a three-month introductory course that gives a basic understanding of farming and involves the students practically about the functioning of a healthy, profitable farm.’ Training includes agriculture and farm household management, which includes product origin, treatment and processing of products, storage and stock control, hospitality, nursing and education.Animal nutrition, management and handling, plant and feed production, grazing management, technology and finances are also part of the course.After the initial three months, 12 of these students will then be selected to continue with a two-year course that will take them to deeper levels of knowledge and understanding integrated farming with regard to livestock, soils, plants, technology, people and the climate. ‘Practical exercises and the day-to-day duties of running the integrated farm with dairy, vegetable garden and poultry forms an important part of the learning,’ says Külbs. ‘The students will then be able to manage a farm as a living organism.’ All students will take English and mathematics classes and exercises for personal growth.’Through the training, graduates are encouraged to be confident and dedicated to finding their own creative solutions as active farmers in a sustainable, modern and productive agriculture in Namibia,’ says Külbs. ‘With new farmers emerging through programmes for land reform, the calls for knowledge and understanding of the processes that support a sustainable farming sector increase significantly. The graduates from existing training facilities like Unam and the Polytechnic in general do not apply for jobs on the farms, which means that no competency is flowing into the farming sector.’The new principal of the ATC at Aris is Andreas Fellner. He can be called at (061) 30 6806.
