16 May 2018

The UNDP-OKACOM project team held a stakeholder consultative meeting recently in Maun to consult farmers and engage other stakeholders on the implementation of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Strategic Action Project (SAP) on horticulture.

SAP project aims to strengthen the utilisation of the natural water resource and improve the livelihood of communities living along the river basin.

It is expected that the implementation of the project would uncover opportunities engendered through trans-boundary water cooperation.

However, the aim of the meeting was to formulate and prioritise detailed activities with different themes for demonstration projects, suggests possible implementation structures to support the implementation of demonstration projects and discuss proposed selection criteria for champion farmers targeted for experiments on horticultural farming.

The meeting discussed matters pertaining to setting up of criterion to be followed in selecting demonstration champion farmers. These are farmers who are targeted and would be selected from a pool of registered local farmers within the boundary of the Okavango river basin.

The farmers are expected to avail their farms voluntarily, so that the UNDP-OKACOM team can carry out trial demonstration horticultural farming projects.

These farmers would then be required to assist other farmers by allowing them to come and learn best practices used, mentor, while improving their farming capability and skills.

Furthermore, the meeting also shed light on raising awareness on horticultural farming and how other farmers could participate in demonstration projects, in case, they are not selected as champions.

Additionally, the platform offered an opportunity to cultivate ideas on mobilising farmers at grassroot level to access experimenting farms.

The group also discussed what farmers are producing within the district to establish the level of capabilities of production of horticultural produce with an aim to raise economic value and establish a competitive position locally, by selling their produce to bigger retailers locally, while minimising imports.

Stakeholders believe that reducing hunger, poverty and creating an enabling easy access to local markets by local communities would be one of the benefits that Maun farmers would get.

This will also provide an opportunity for farmers to market their produce through a cooperative horticultural market chain set-up.

Stakeholders shared ideas on developing a cropping calendar and business proposals aimed at strengthening the horticultural market.

Opportunities to carry out a marketing survey of horticultural products are also a key aspect that was identified as crucial and debated upon, to form part of the implementation process.

Farmers who are eager to strengthen their farming skills will also benefit from the SAP project, in terms of financial funding and improvement in their set-up, inherit equipment which will be procured to carry out demonstration project experiments, gain extensive knowledge on new horticultural practices, accessibility to local market and supply of produce to retailers locally, obtain water infrastructures and access training opportunities including getting an opportunity to mentor other farmers.

It was reported that the implementation would also take place in Namibia and Angola, focusing on a different agricultural benefit in line with the countries national action plans.

Meanwhile, OKACOM, which is a Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission advises the three riparian states being Botswana, Angola and Namibia about the best possible use of the river’s natural resources. ENDS