Rain spoiling Naute date project’s harvest

NAUTE DAM – The Namibia Development Corporation (NDC) is working on measures to stop dates at its Naute Dam project from being spoiled by rain.

‘We want to buy a few materials that are currently being used in Pakistan for the same purpose. We will use them to see if they can solve our problem,’ project manager Mous Boshoff said.The company plans to order polyurethane, a durable synthetic material, to use it to cover the fruit and stop it from being ruined by humidity.Boshoff further said excessive rain experienced in the South over the past two years has been ruining fruit, and causing poor harvests.’The last time we had a good harvest was 2009. This year, our fruit developed cracks due to high humidity and we cannot export it, so it is a big loss. Seventy tonnes of Barhi variety [a type of date] was spoiled this year,’ he said.Some good news, however, was that there were good harvests of another type of date grown at the project, called Medjool.About 160 tonnes of Medjool dates were harvested.The harvesting started here in mid-February, and is expected to be completed in a few weeks.The fruit is harvested fresh and exported to countries like Spain, France, Canada and the United Kingdom.Last April, the project donated 18 tonnes of dates to flood victims in northern Namibia. Around 340 people are employed at the NDC’s Naute date project.Meanwhile, Government has released funds for the extension of a table-grape vineyard at the NDC’s date and grape project.NDC Managing Director (MD) Pieter De Wit said the Ministry of Trade and Industry last month made N$20 million available for the project’s extension.The vineyard extension, which will cover 20 hectares, started early last year, with the loosening of the soil.The second phase will include the construction of a trellis system, which is made up of small poles and wires to support the vines. The third phase includes the preparation of irrigation pipes.De Wit said materials such as wires, poles and irrigation pipes will be ordered, and the work will continue early next month.’We have also authorised a first order for the renovations of our labourers’ accommodation facilities,’ he said, adding that the accommodation is currently in a less than desirable state.Forty hectares are already under utilisation at the vineyard.The extension is aimed at producing more fruit, and in the process create more jobs. In the next four years, the company plans to increase the vineyard to 120 hectares, and increase the date fields, which currently occupy 80 hectares, to 250 hectares.De Wit said 100 hectares of land will be cleared for the planting of pecan nuts, which will be the first time that the nuts are grown at the project.The extension of the vineyard will be completed before August as the idea is to plant grapes in the new vineyards by August this year.’We have 3 000 date seedlings in a nursery right now. They are kept for a year before being transplanted.If we could finish the vineyard by August or September, then we can start the extension of the date field and plant the seedlings,’ De Wit said. – Nampa