Wezi Tjaronda
14 November 2008
Windhoek — The Ogongo Dairy Development Project, set up in 2006, is set for expansion after its products received good response from the local market.
The project started in 2006 with funding from the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry to add value to milk thereby improving the incomes and livelihoods of livestock keepers in northern Namibia.
The project, according to an FAO document, would demonstrate improved low cost practical technologies for small-scale milk collection, including preservation systems, as well as on farm processing and marketing of butter, buttermilk and fresh cheese.
The project, which is in two components, comprises a unit at the Ogongo Agricultural and Natural Resources campus and a replica in the communities.
Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources who is also in charge of the Ogongo Campus, Dr Luke Kanyomeka told New Era yesterday that the project on campus was doing so well that its products were in high demand in the surrounding areas. The campus project has a 4500 hectare farm with 15 milk cows from which the centre produces omaere, cream, pasterurised milk, yoghurt, butter and table cheese.
The project on campus is also in the process of commercialising the farm due to the interest it has received from the market.
"We have lots of demand from the market," he said, adding that clients scrambled for the products especially pasteurised milk that was on sale at this year's Trade Fair in Ongwediva.
The farm now has 15 milk cows, which the camp intends to expand to between 20 and 25 milk cows.
The project was equipped with a milk pasteuriser, cream separater, cooling machine, butter making machine and a sealer for sealing plastic in which milk is packaged.
While the campus is happy with the equipment, Kanyomeka said businesses could also start small-scale enterprises especially in Kavango and Caprivi regions where communal farmers own large herds of cattle and produce a lot of milk.
The training could include milk hygiene, and pasteurisation but also depend on what type of training the communities would require.
Farm administrator, Veikko Namwoonde, said communal farmers in most rural areas have no gas for cooking and fridges for keeping the milk fresh.
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