Etunda turns to groundnuts
Having suffered losses during last year's harvest due to the outbreak of armyworm, Etunda has planted 450 hectares of groundnuts this season.
Fear of a repetition of last summer's loss of 90 hectares of maize to the armyworm infestation, the green scheme at Etunda will not plant maize this season but instead, aim for a large harvest of groundnuts.
During a visit to the Etunda Irrigation Scheme in Omusati Region on Friday Namibian Sun observed that only a small section of the 1 200-hectare piece of land was planted with maize and other vegetables such as cabbage and butternuts.
This is due to fears of a failed harvest. Last year the scheme fell prey to the fall armyworm, bollworms and the maize stalk borer and destroyed almost all of the maize harvest.
The farmers hope that rotating from maize to groundnuts may break the cycle of the worms and either reduce their numbers or destroy them entirely.
According to the Agriculture Business Development Agency (AgriBusDev) managing director, Petrus Uugwanga, they felt it prudent to introduce a different crop which not only improves the quality of the soil but also one which cannot be attacked by the worms.
Uugwanga explained that 68 hectares of land was put out for asparagus, 300 hectares was given to small-scale farmers and roughly 450 hectares will be used to harvest groundnuts.
Only a small portion of the remaining land will be used for maize.
“We are using groundnuts in the hope that they break the cycle of the worms. What we realised is that the wheat and the barley we harvested last season were not attacked by the worms and now we want to see if the groundnuts will have the same effect,” he explained.
“Groundnuts have a good advantage in terms of crop rotation because we want to break the cycle of worms. We are hoping they starve this season. Secondly, groundnuts are also good for the soil because we have been planting maize year in, year out, since Etunda started so we want to find a way to break the cycle of the worms with a different crop,” Uugwanga further explained.
Markets, both local and across the borders, have been sourced for the nuts.
“We have many people who want to buy the groundnuts, especially the vendors you see at the open markets, but large amounts will be exported to other countries,” Uugwanga said.
When asked whether the Etunda will still have maize meal available for sale to its consumers, Uugwanga said they will secure maize from sister green schemes which they will mill and sell.
“We have a strategy in place as the milling plant will continue to run until the next harvest. We have secured enough grains from other green scheme projects so the mill will be in full swing.”
KENYA KAMBOWE
During a visit to the Etunda Irrigation Scheme in Omusati Region on Friday Namibian Sun observed that only a small section of the 1 200-hectare piece of land was planted with maize and other vegetables such as cabbage and butternuts.
This is due to fears of a failed harvest. Last year the scheme fell prey to the fall armyworm, bollworms and the maize stalk borer and destroyed almost all of the maize harvest.
The farmers hope that rotating from maize to groundnuts may break the cycle of the worms and either reduce their numbers or destroy them entirely.
According to the Agriculture Business Development Agency (AgriBusDev) managing director, Petrus Uugwanga, they felt it prudent to introduce a different crop which not only improves the quality of the soil but also one which cannot be attacked by the worms.
Uugwanga explained that 68 hectares of land was put out for asparagus, 300 hectares was given to small-scale farmers and roughly 450 hectares will be used to harvest groundnuts.
Only a small portion of the remaining land will be used for maize.
“We are using groundnuts in the hope that they break the cycle of the worms. What we realised is that the wheat and the barley we harvested last season were not attacked by the worms and now we want to see if the groundnuts will have the same effect,” he explained.
“Groundnuts have a good advantage in terms of crop rotation because we want to break the cycle of worms. We are hoping they starve this season. Secondly, groundnuts are also good for the soil because we have been planting maize year in, year out, since Etunda started so we want to find a way to break the cycle of the worms with a different crop,” Uugwanga further explained.
Markets, both local and across the borders, have been sourced for the nuts.
“We have many people who want to buy the groundnuts, especially the vendors you see at the open markets, but large amounts will be exported to other countries,” Uugwanga said.
When asked whether the Etunda will still have maize meal available for sale to its consumers, Uugwanga said they will secure maize from sister green schemes which they will mill and sell.
“We have a strategy in place as the milling plant will continue to run until the next harvest. We have secured enough grains from other green scheme projects so the mill will be in full swing.”
KENYA KAMBOWE
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