Council grants approval for olive farm expansion

The Walvis Bay municipal council has approved the lease of one hectare of land on Farm 37 to Magdalene Vermaak for the cultivation of olive trees.This will be an additional addition to the already 500 olive trees planted outside Walvis Bay, as well as a greenhouse called Hannan Green Acres.The first 500 olive trees were planted by Magdalene and her late husband, Ronald Vermaak, nine years ago, along with the greenhouse that was added last year. This is no ordinary greenhouse, as it was a dream born 21 years ago; to set up a garden and train vulnerable members of the community. Since the greenhouse and garden’s implementation last year, Vermaak stated that the cooperation from the community was very good, with many offering voluntary assistance.“I appreciated this assistance immensely. Many unemployed individuals in the community sought work; unfortunately, I couldn’t accommodate everyone. The community garden has been successful so far.“We had our first harvest, and the income was used to pay a small amount to the gardeners. It was distributed to the underprivileged, who truly did not have bread on the table. It was also used to pay for water, which is currently a major challenge for me.”Regarding the new hectare that will be added, previously, the Walvis Bay council resolved that 1 ha (10 000 m²) of Farm 37 be leased by private transaction to MC Vermaak for N$1,392.08 (0.139208/m²) plus N$ 208.81 (15% VAT) per month, escalating with 10% per annum for the cultivation of olive trees.“Vermaak has now applied for additional land supplementary to its current lease at Farm 37 for the expansion of their facilities. She has been leasing the site from council since 2013 on a year-to-year basis, and council also approved a long-term lease. The site is occupied and operational, but she has now indicated that she would like to expand the business,” the latest council agenda stated.Currently, there are over 500 olive trees on the leased land, and Vermaak has made an investment of N$500 000.“She has indicated that olive trees have a lifespan of 100 years, making olive farming one of the most valuable investments for job creation.“In addition to already contributing toward the economic upliftment of the town through job creation, with this expansion, the applicant would also advocate for environmental education. This project will further underscore the government’s initiative to add value to Namibian products and ultimately result in skills transfer to Namibians.”The council supports the additional 1 hectare of land on Farm 37 to be leased to Vermaak.“The lease of the land must be set at a monthly rental of N$1,392.08 (0.139208 cents/m²) plus N$208.81 (15% VAT) per month, escalating with 10% per annum.”

Council grants approval for olive farm expansion

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Council grants approval for olive farm expansion

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