The OMDis nursery project outside Oranjemund has the potential to soon become the sole provider of vegetables to residents as far as nearby Rosh Pinah in southern Namibia.
OMDis Town Transform Agency is a Section 21 Company or Special Purpose Vehicle with the sole purpose of proactively accelerating town transformation – the economic diversification of Oranjemund – to ensure the town’s sustainability by 2030 and beyond. Nursery manager Ettienne de Jagger said they started the project by growing carrots six years ago and have since planted and harvested 1 247 tonnes of green peppers and 5 497 tonnes of cauliflower.
“In addition, we are growing cucumbers, cabbage, onions, beans, strawberries, and different kinds of chilies, which we are primarily selling to Welwitchia Catering Company, who are feeding Namdeb employees at smaller mines as well as small-scale, informal traders in town.” Another product is Cassava roots, which they supply to a woman in Windhoek who grinds it into low GI-containing (gluten-free) maize meal as these are no longer available in neighboring Angola.
They sell directly to the public once a month during open market days. “OMDis, as part of its corporate social responsibility, initiated and trained teachers and learners of the local Ambrosius Amutenya Primary School, and the vegetables harvested are contributed to the school’s feeding project for vulnerable children,” he said.
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