Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Namibian charcoal industry, which employs more than 10 000 people, has grown to produce more than 200 000 tonnes of charcoal a year, bringing Namibia among the top five charcoal exporting countries.
Individual sector players are represented by the Namibia Charcoal Association (NCA), a non-profit voluntary membership association, which has officially changed its name to the Charcoal Association of Namibia (CAoN).
The association says it will embark on a campaign to raise awareness of its renaming.
This is according to the latest issue of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) newsletter.
The CAoN is an affiliate of the NAU.
Most of the charcoal is produced in drum kilns on farms, with de-bushing identified as an important task to keep farmland open.
The core markets are South Africa, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Greece, as more Namibian charcoal enters new markets, such as the Middle East and Australia.
In April 2021, Namibian charcoal broke into the United States market with the first consignment of 350 tonnes sent across the Atlantic ocean.
According to the NAU newsletter, on 19 July the CAoN pre-launched its prototype to harvest smoke from charcoal kilns and produce a valuable wood acid mixture which can be distilled to produce wood vinegar.
They also offered a training session on BioChar and explained how BioChar, wood vinegar, compost and other organic matter like cattle or chicken manure can be used to enhance the quality of soils and how wood vinegar can be used as a pesticide or fertiliser for enhanced plant health and growth.
CAoN is reportedly arranging a practical training session at Otjiwa Safari Lodge on 3 August, alongside the department of forestry, lead by deputy director Michael //Otsub, and the Otjiwarongo fire team, lead by Frans Holtzkampf.
Also lined up for CAoN is the association’s annual general meeting, scheduled for 2 September, as well as their mini-expo on 2 and 3 September.
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