Maria David
Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Otjozondjupa Region was selected as the site for the construction of the first-ever Biomass Industrial Park in Namibia, a project that is expected to create a sizable number of jobs.
This was according to Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, during a Swapo rally held in Otjiwarongo on Saturday, saying the project is expected to leverage value addition synergies for a robust local market for wood-based products to unlock new market opportunities domestically and beyond.
The project, to be operated on a 100-hectare piece of land, will produce annual outputs of 191,500 tonnes of wood chips, 20,000 tonnes of charcoal, 12,000 tonnes of char briquettes, 160 tonnes of animal feed, 4,500 tonnes of bio-fuel, and 600 tonnes of biochar, respectively.
“As a result of fighting bush encroachment, the Namibian beef industry will also benefit as grazing land will also increase,” she said.
She added that Otjozondjupa has been known mostly as a cattle-producing region and now has welcomed the move that the Dry Land Crop Production Program (DCPP) was established.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said under this program, farmers are receiving subsidized inputs such as seeds and fertilizers, as well as services of plowing, planting, and weeding, to ensure food security at the household and national level.
Moreover, Nandi-Ndaitwah mentioned another project, that of treating sewage water to produce biogas and reusable water for irrigation purposes.
She said that, once successful, this project will serve two purposes, contributing to energy efficiency and food security.
“The informal sector has a major role to play in the economy. It is encouraging to see many local authorities paying attention to this sector, and Otjozondjupa is not an exception,” she added.
Furthermore, she said that, having identified the challenges faced by vendors, the program has started to construct marketplaces, starting with Otjiwarongo Municipality.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
