KALAHARI HOLDINGS FARM DE RUST READY FOR 2014/15 PLANTING SEASON
Published: 17 Dec 2014

Agra ProVision awarded certificates to 25 personnel from Kalahari Holdings’ Farm De Rust in Grootfontein last week Friday, 12 December 2014. The certificates were handed over to employees, who attended training facilitated by Agra ProVision, at an event to celebrate Kalahari Holdings 25th anniversary on the said farm.

In his opening remarks, Mr Etuna Nashima, General Manager of Kalahari Holdings said Kalahari Holdings participates in the agriculture sector to create jobs and contribute towards achieving national food security objectives in line with Vision 2030. To realise this objective, Kalahari Holdings appointed Agra ProVision to provide their management and personnel with training and mentoring in to improve the overall performance of the farming unit, De Rust in Grootfontein. “This was a step to the right direction for the transfer of the necessary skills and knowledge. I wish to inform you that through this intervention, the farm recorded a harvest of 700 tonnes of white maize in 2014,” he proudly said. Agra ProVision successfully trained 25 Kalahari Holdings personnel on; farm management, livestock management, dry land cropping and horticulture.

Dr Pauline Lindeque, Agra ProVision’s Manager for Consultancy, Research and Technology reflected on the relationship with Farm De Rust. “Our journey with Farm De Rust began 2012/2013, when Agra ProVision undertook an evaluation and produced a baseline technical and agronomic report. Agra ProVision was then requested to provide a training proposal to empower the employees, from management to farm worker level,” she stated.

“We were pleased to note that in 2013/2014 season, 300 ha on De Rust were planted in time, despite challenges with equipment breakdowns. The staff also successfully dealt with the weed challenge, and these resulted in a harvest of 2.5 tonnes per hectare, a dramatic improvement on previous yields,” Dr Lindeque said. She further commended the extreme dedication and perseverance shown by the De Rust farm personnel who at times worked a 24 hours shift. None of these achievements would have been possible without their 

The Farm Manager, Mr Wilbart Iyambo thanked Agra ProVision for their support and on-going mentoring, offering the farm workers hands-on continued advice to ensure increased productivity. “With the newly acquired skills and knowledge, the farm can now perform at its best ability,” he highlighted. He also thanked the parent company, Kalahari Holdings and the farm workers for working tirelessly to ensure success. The event ended with employees receiving Certificates of Attendance from Agra ProVision, and Certificates from Kalahari Holdings as tokens of appreciation for their loyalty and dedication.

Kalahari Holdings (Pty) Limited is a diverse and dynamic investments holding company playing an active role in the development of Namibia. The company has made significant contributions to the Namibian economy in the form of employment creation, creation of wealth, poverty alleviation, and making significant monetary contribution to its shareholders.