Hard work rewarded

A full-time communal crop farmer from the Omusati Region has worked hard to overcome challenges and plans to expand her enterprise even further with the training she has acquired through Agribank.Emilie Naunyango farms in the northern region of Omusati and is the owner of the Nande Vegetable Project.The enthusiastic agri-businesswoman acquired an Emerging Retail Financing Product (ERFP) loan with Agribank in 2021 and purchased a ripper disc plough and drip irrigation piping equipment to expand her crop enterprise.The ERFP loan scheme promotes inclusive financing by catering to full-time communal farmers without salaried income or collateral.Naunyango currently plants a variety of vegetables, including cabbage, sweet potatoes, green peppers, chilli peppers, spinach, carrots, butternut, watermelon, and maize.Naunyango also has a few goats and pigs to complement her crop enterprise.Mentorship upliftsAs part of the ERFP loan package, she also joined the Agribank mentorship programme in 2021.She said that this has assisted her in learning about crop rotation practises, identifying pests and diseases, record keeping, financial management, and managing her workers.Naunyango emphasised that she has noticed an improvement in the attitude and skills of her workers because of the mentorship programme.She currently employs seven staff members on her farm, of whom two are casual workers.She maintains records of her land preparation, planting, and harvesting dates for each crop, as well as income and expenses."Naunyango, being an avid businesswoman, has secured markets for her produce and currently supplies Choppies supermarket, the Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA), FreschCo, catering establishments, open markets, and the local community," Agribank said.Overcoming hurdles However, despite significant strides, she has experienced challenges with pests such as tomato pinworm, mildew, and frost, as well as the high cost of fuel, fertiliser, and pesticides.She continuously works hard to overcome these obstacles and plans to expand her enterprise by expanding her garden and adding value by sorting and packing her produce.Her ultimate goal is to supply more retailers and export her produce in the future. She also plans to pay off her Agribank loan and purchase a hammer mill to embark on fodder production for her animals and neighbouring farmers.

Hard work rewarded

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Republikein 2025-04-04

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Hard work rewarded

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