Siblings receive funds for tomato production during WFD

BUNYA, 30 OCT – Two siblings, Thomas and Belinda Dinish, who produce tomatoes on a 0.2-hectare plot in their backyard were funded here with N.dollars 13 000 by the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the European Union (EU).
The money was handed over to them during the commemoration of World Food Day (WFD) at Bunya Village in the Kavango West Region on Tuesday.
Three other people also received funds from the organisations. They are Lukas Kayanga Soke, who received N.dollars 13 000, Katrina Katjayi, who got N.dollars 18 000 and Raphael Kampanza, who received N.dollars 8 000.
Soke produces tomatoes and paw paw on a 0.3-hectare plot; Katjayi produces tomatoes and cabbage while Kampanza is into horticulture production.
Senior Agricultural Technician in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Ronald Kweleka said the siblings started their household garden in 2017 without any agricultural background or skills.
The establishment of their garden came as mitigation measures to improve their livelihoods, to put food on the table and to generate an income to support their families.
Their first produce in 2017 did not yield good results due to their lack of skills and knowledge on the production of tomatoes and especially in the area of marketing.
This, Kweleka said, did not discourage the pair as they continued to work harder in their garden.
This year their produce yielded better results and the family members now sell their tomatoes ranging from N.dollars 200 to 300 per crate, depending on the size of the product.
The Dinish family is however challenged by lack of skills, the connection of water from the river, the proper layout of the irrigation system and the elevation of the water tanks.
Other challenges are transporting to the market, a grading machine and storage facility.
In addition to the funds the pair received, fruit trees such as mango were also donated to them.
The agriculture ministry promised to provide them with the continuous provision of extension and advisory services.
(NAMPA)