The University of Namibia's (UNAM) Vice-Chancellor has given assurance of plans that could help resuscitate the Kalimbeza Rice Project, saying it should not fail while the university, with all its experience, is there.

Kalimbeza Rice Project, under the Agriculture Ministry, has, for some years now, experienced difficulties in producing the desired yields owing to poor rice plantations. 

Professor Kenneth Matengu informed President Mbumba that the success of UNAM's rice production at the Ogongo campus could be used as a benchmark to revive Kalimbeza and other green schemes.

"What we have been doing at Ogongo after assessing many different cultivars, we chose 14 to test in Kalimbeza, of which four were successful. So Ogongo remains the parent of Kalimbeza, we know what is wrong there, we know what could be made right, and we know what steps to take to make it successful. Because we are doing it at Ogongo, we are expanding now from three hectares to 10 by the end of this year. We are working with the police to demine the next 20 hectares, and once that is done, we will continue to expand. So Kalizemba should not fail when the university is there, and the same goes for all green schemes. As an example, we got 70 tonnes from 0.3 hectares, just here in the rocks. Imagine if we could do this with all the green schemes, we would immediately stop food imports and make this country food secure."