Windhoek: The founder of the Stampriet Roots project, Johan Rieckert, has appealed to the government to support the expansion of the initiative, which aims to use agriculture and education to create jobs and address food insecurity.

According to Namibia Press Agency, on Friday, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform (MAFWLR), Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi, visited the Roots project in Stampriet to gain deeper insight into the initiative. The Roots project, founded by Rieckert and Salomon Kalondo, is an agri-town initiative that integrates commercial farming, agro-processing, and agricultural education to promote food security, job creation, and youth empowerment.

The project encompasses orchards, livestock farming, a vocational college, and small empowerment plots, all designed to reduce imports, boost exports, and foster a self-sustaining rural economy. During a meeting with the minister, Rieckert emphasized the significance of agriculture in reviving the country's economy and how the Roots project can contribute to this goal.

Rieckert stated, "We need to use agriculture to improve the economy and create jobs. This project is built on an experimental farm and utilizes 12 disciplines of agriculture to train future farmers by equipping them with knowledge and skills. The core aim of the project is to help revive the country's economy through food security, and we want to expand it but need the government's help to get there quicker."

In response, Zaamwani-Kamwi expressed strong support for the Roots project, acknowledging its potential as an implementation partner in food security. She stated, "That's why we came to Stampriet, to get more insight into what the project is all about, and we are happy you are planning to expand it. We see you as an implementation partner in food security, and from our side, we will do what we can to support this initiative."

The minister reiterated that the ministry's focus is to increase food production in the country.