Coblenz farm calls for govt to buy local food for local schools

A Namibian vegetable farm is calling on government to break up school catering tenders into smaller portions so local producers can supply fresh food to schools in their own areas.Coblenz Green Ventures, based between Grootfontein and Okakarara in the Otjozondjupa region, says it has enough land and water to meet the constituency’s vegetable needs if allowed to expand production.Operations executive Okeri Kasete said the farm could significantly increase output if it had guaranteed markets, such as government tenders, to make the expansion viable.“We need to break those catering tenders of the ministry of education into smaller pieces to give what we can produce locally to the locals,” Kasete said during a visit by Namibian Sun to the farm last weekend.He said schools and other government institutions would offer secure markets for local producers, allowing farmers to plan production around guaranteed demand instead of planting crops without knowing whether they will find buyers.Kasete said local farmers could supply schools with vegetables, milk, eggs, meat and chicken, while products that could not be produced locally could continue to be sourced elsewhere.“Meat must not come from Windhoek or from Brazil to come here,” he said, arguing that communities should be supported to produce food consumed by children in their own areas.Kasete said securing markets remained one of the biggest challenges facing crop producers, particularly when a particular crop floods the market.He cited cabbage as an example, saying an oversupply last year forced producers to reduce prices to levels where they were barely breaking even.Coblenz currently sells produce to vendors, the open market and supermarkets. Kasete said the farm has spent years establishing markets, but argued that government procurement could give local producers greater certainty.Green fingersCoblenz Green Ventures, which began operations in June 2018, currently produces cabbages, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, butternut, watermelons, beetroot, carrots, potatoes and lucerne.Kasete said about nine to 10 hectares are currently under cultivation, while the farm has a total fenced area of about 28 hectares available for development.The operation plans to establish greenhouses for tomatoes and green peppers and install a five-hectare pivot irrigation system for lucerne and cabbages.The farm’s access to water is central to those plans, with Kasete saying water is one of the biggest requirements for intensive crop production in a country where dry conditions limit agricultural development.Coblenz’s location in a valley also creates opportunities and challenges for production. Kasete said temperatures can fall to around minus 3°C in winter, affecting crops, while tomatoes and cabbages are vulnerable to pests.Greenhouses would allow the farm to control growing conditions and reduce losses, while also enabling the production of tomatoes and green peppers during winter when supplies become scarce.The farm recently suffered a major setback when locusts descended on the fields and destroyed crops within hours, Kasete told Namibian Sun.The attack resulted in a substantial loss and forced the business to use its own funds to replant.“It was a huge loss. We had to go back and dip into our pockets to replant what we have planted so far,” Kasete said.Sharing knowledgeThe farm has since replanted and currently has onions, carrots, beetroot, watermelons, potatoes and lucerne under production.Kasete said Coblenz Green Ventures was established partly to demonstrate to rural communities that income could be generated from crops rather than relying mainly on cattle.The farm hosts agricultural learners, interns and visiting groups for practical training in crop production, while also considering establishing a small training facility.

Coblenz farm calls for govt to buy local food for local schools

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-18

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Coblenz farm calls for govt to buy local food for local schools

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Namibian Sun 2026-09-18

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