The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, says the government is committed to empowering rural communities and helping them diversify their agricultural activities.
Shifeta said this when he handed over a Moringa processing machine to the Likwaterera Community Forest in Kavango East's Rundu Rural Constituency.
The Likwaterera Community Forest is expected to produce moringa from its 10-hectare farm to be processed at the plant.
At least 60 households in Likwaterera and surrounding villages are expected to benefit from the climate-resilient project funded by the Environmental Investment Fund.
"I am so proud to learn that the community in the Likwaterera area sees an opportunity to diversify their farming practice and not only rely on rain-fed production but sees opportunities for a paradigm shift and has actually produced one of the most internationally recognised plants, Moringa oleifera, due to its medicinal, nutritional and other benefits. The Likwaterera Moringa plantation demonstrates the potential for effectively addressing issues of unemployment, foreign earnings, and building momentum for sustainable economic growth in our country."
Shifeta added that his ministry will soon implement the Access to Biological, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge Act No. 2 of 2017.
The Act, he says, calls for the preservation and maintenance of indigenous knowledge, innovations, and practices of these communities, adding that the Moringa products meet those criteria.
The project acquired international marketing certification for its products, which Rundu Rural Councillor Paulus Mbangu described as a welcome relief.
"Let's continue planting more Moringa trees, even in our crop fields, since there is a market already, we can be able to get income to transform our lives."
The Moringa products will be marketed to the European Union.
Among other products, including Moringa oil, powder, and detoxing tea, animal feed, as well as Moringa seeds for replanting, will also be produced there.
The project is titled "Unleashing the Potential of the Climate Change Strategy for Likwaterera Community Forest."