Page 16 - UNAM Forum Ed1-2021

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

THROUGH PRECISION

AGRICULTURE

The training will involve the transfer

of practical skills on controlled

environment, horticultural crop

production, hydroponics, drip irrigation

and mushroom production.

he University of Namibia’s (UNAM) Sam oyster and button mushroom production. The 10
Nujoma Campus is leading a community trainees will be exposed to precision agriculture
engagement project titled Precision Desert techniques, with experts from three counties
Agriculture as a Job Creator. The project (Israel, South Africa, and Namibia). The horticultural
Tis being funded by the Southern Africa practical experience will be undertaken at Farm
Innovation Support programme (SAIS). Within this Shalom, whilst the mushroom aspect will happen
project, UNAM is the grant recipient and is working at UNAM, Sam Nujoma Campus, Henties Bay. To
in partnership with Avagro Sustainable Agriculture date, the trainees have already undertaken an
Solutions (and their flagship farm, Shalom, in eight module inclusive innovation training offered
Swakopmund) and a South African company by BoP Inc. from the Netherlands, where they have
Jayden Nashe Enterprises. As part of the project gained skills in creating innovative and bankable
objectives, 10 Namibian graduates in Agriculture businesses ideas. The aim is to address both
and Science from both UNAM and the National sustainable development goals and Namibia’s
University of Science and Technology (NUST) were National Development Plan targets.
selected, and they will undertake training for the
next 6 – 8 months in Swakopmund and Henties Bay. After completion of training, the trainees are
The project was supposed to be over 18 months, expected to develop and pitch their business ideas
but faced delays in start, due to Covid-19. on various platforms to secure investment into their
initiatives, thus turning these graduate job seekers
The training will involve the transfer of practical into job creators.
skills on controlled environment, horticultural
crop production, hydroponics, drip irrigation and The group of trainees call themselves the Innovative
mushroom production. The 10 trainees will therefore Green Hands. https://youtu.be/L7UNWrk7ALU.
undertake a full cycle from planting, media
preparation, nursery management and experience For more information on the project,
the best practical skills in inter-cultural practices please contact the project manager, Dr.
essential for horticultural crop production under Mupambwa at hmupambwa@unam.na;
controlled environments, market survey, record precisiondesertagriculture@gmail.com; phone 081
keeping, business plan development, as well as 786 0758 or 064 502 600.

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