Sesfontein: Warmquelle Green Scheme outside Sesfontein in the Kunene Region continues to improve food production at the settlement. Farm Manager, Johannes Swanepoel, during a site tour of the farm on Thursday, said production of butternuts, sweetcorn, green pepper, tomatoes, and carrots is ongoing since 2024.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the produce from the farm is sold to local community members at a reduced price and is also supplied to four wholesale markets in Windhoek. These products are transported weekly in a truck every Friday. Swanepoel mentioned that over 1,000 heads of sweetcorn, two tons of green pepper and butternuts, along with some carrots, are usually harvested by hand and packaged on the farm.

The 12-hectare farm at Warmquelle employs nearly 40 Sesfontein residents on both a permanent and temporary basis, due to the seasonal nature of the crops. The farm produces its own seedlings, employs a drip irrigation system, and uses machinery for cultivating the tracks of land. Despite challenges such as a flood last year and the potential for another one this year, operations continue to progress well.

Farm Khowarib in Sesfontein, also under Swanepoel's management, produces lucerne for animal feed. However, lucerne production is currently on hold due to the 2025 flood, which damaged water pipelines. Production is expected to resume once water pipes are reinstalled in May.

This agricultural project, initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform in 1993, receives support from the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF). EIF portfolio manager, Charity Sihope, who was present during the farm tour, revealed that a total of N.dollars 34 million has been invested in the latest agricultural implements, infrastructure, and tools to enhance farming at Warmquelle.

The farm has its own borehole and also sources additional water from the Ongongo fountain, located about two kilometers south of Warmquelle.