SIKONDO irrigation project in the Kavango West region saw elderly citizens stampeding for food on Wednesday morning as the first harvest of potatoes and butternuts grown from the project was distributed.
The project is situated some 20km west of Rundu in this region, and is one of the government’s six Green Scheme irrigation projects in the two Kavango regions.
The project planted butternuts and potatoes on a 30 hectare piece of land this year.
After harvesting, the project management decided to donate five tonnes of the two vegetables to the pensioners living around the 800 hectares’ project.
The pensioners from the five villages of Kasote, Kayirayira, Mupini, Siyandeya and Mafungu rushed to the project’s gates from the early morning hours of Wednesday to secure their chances of getting the products early.
Each pensioner living in the surrounds of the project was given a 20kg bag of butternuts and potatoes.
Project manager Rustie Kleynhans on Thursday said that they decided to donate the five tonnes of potatoes and butternuts to the pensioners as part of their social responsibility.
The produce donated to the communities also does not meet the standards for packaging as they are too small, and are thus only suitable for consumption.
Kleynhans explained that they also decided to give away the surplus in order to clear the fields to pave the way for the plantation of winter crops such as wheat, which will start later this month. Later this month, community members living adjacent to the project will also be invited to freely pick up fallen maize grown on a 200-hectare piece of land, which they can take to their households for consumption.
Last year, the Sikondo project also made a similar donation of watermelons to 1 500 people living close to the project.
The project is expecting to harvest over 2 000 tonnes of maize this year, something Kleynhans described as successful.
The Sikondo irrigation project was officially inaugurated by President Hifikepunye Pohamba in March this year, and is said to be self-sustainable as the only thing which they are getting from the government, is funds for infrastructural developments.
It covers a total area of 800 hectares, of which 482 hectares are under production.
– 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.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
