Researchers under the Biomass Utilisation through Sustainable Harvest (BUSH) project, recently spent a week in the Ovitoto communal area. The aim of the visit was to implement the first phase of the project’s bush encroachment mitigation and technology development strategies. Bush encroachment is one of the key agricultural challenges in Namibia. The most significant consequences…
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Biomass Research in Ovitoto
Biomass Technology Expo at Otjiwa draws over thousand visitors
Biomass moves Namibia. The Biomass Technology Expo (BTE) at Otjiwa near Otjiwarongo on Friday 9 August turned out to be the biggest biomass day Namibia has ever seen. More than 120 exhibitors showed their new technology, reached out to potential customers and exchanged ideas. With over 1,400 visitors the BTE claims its place among Namibia’s…
DAS capacity development project kicks off with 36 trainees in Okahandja
Bush encroachment of farmland in Namibia is a growing reality with an adverse impact on land productivity and grazing capacity. Efforts to reclaim land through bush clearing activities using a variety of chemical, mechanical and biological methods are increasing. Where livestock farmers in general see bush encroachment as a stumbling block to profitable livestock production,…
Heading to Biomass Technology Expo 2019, 09 August 2019 at Otjiwa Safari Lodge in Otjiwarongo area
In a move to encourage efficient harvesting practices and utilisation of the vast biomass resource, the N-BiG Biomass Technology Expo is set to take place on 9 August at Otjiwa Safari Lodge. General Manager of the Namibia Biomass Industry Group, Colin Lindeque said the open Expo will focus on bush-based fodder production, modern charcoal production,…
Dealing with Drought:Bush-based Animal Feed Trainings for Farmers
Bush-based animal feed production is a viable option for Namibian farmers, especially in times of drought. “Farmers can diversify their income and sustainably contribute to tackling bush encroachment. They can ensure a more productive use of their land. We see a big opportunity for our farming community and for land users in this value chain,”…
Training opportunity for the De-bushing Advisory Services Capacity development project
Bush encroachment is one of the biggest threats facing farming in Namibia and must be tackled to recover the condition and productivity of natural rangelands essential to extensive animal production systems. This can be achieved sustainably if the bush biomass accumulating during bush thinning is used to produce valuable products such as charcoal, animal fodder…
Sustainable rangeland management guidelines in Sub-Saharan Africa
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification declares bush encroachment as a driver of land degradation. In Namibia the phenomenon affects more than 30 million hectares of productive rangeland. The reduction of livestock productivity is one of the major impacts of bush encroachment with direct economic losses. Restoring encroached areas by sustainably removing and utilising…
Innovation is the key to drought survival
Despite drought and horrible economic times for Namibia, there is still much to be done to survive until the next rainy season. The one activity thriving on the bad times seems to be the charcoal industry which is growing exponentially due to the massive market uptake of the very popular charcoal derived from Namibian invader…
A case for a biomass-based economy in Namibia
NAMIBIA is currently facing an uphill economic battle, having recently slipped into a recession, coupled with a staggering unemployment rate of over 30%, which is exacerbated further by low international commodity prices, affecting some of our largest national income earners from the mining sector. So, what if we told you that Namibia is sitting on…
DAS visit to Farm Hummelshain
The shortage of unpredictable and very cryptic rainfall in Namibia for the past years has exacerbated the drought dilemma faced by Namibian farmers. Leaving only plains of land with little or no grass at all for livestock, while endorsing the manifestation of bushes which thrive well under such environmental stress. But the question lies with…