Opuwo: The government, in partnership with the European Union (EU), is actively improving agricultural projects north of the Red Line through substantial investments, upgrades, and modernisation efforts, with renovations at the Opuwo slaughterhouse and Farm Omutambomawe already in progress.

According to Namibia Press Agency, spokesperson in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform Simon Nghipandulwa said the two sites have been unproductive for over 10 years, negatively impacting farmers' agricultural activities and livelihoods in the affected areas. He mentioned that both projects are estimated to cost around N.dollars 35 million. The Opuwo slaughterhouse received the largest allocation of N.dollars 20.3 million, while Omutambomawe will be upgraded for a total of N.dollars 15.2 million.

So far, Opuwo's certified amount stands at N.dollars 2.6 million, which is 12.9 per cent of the total. Nghipandulwa noted, "The physical progress of the project currently stands at 36 per cent and it is on time, with no extensions granted," adding that the expected completion date is 06 July 2026. He stated that key initiatives aim to boost productivity, improve value chains, enhance climate resilience, and invest in and upgrade agricultural infrastructure.

At Opuwo, Nghipandulwa stated that the project to convert the existing slaughter facility into a modern abattoir is progressing steadily, although it is slightly behind schedule. He said, "As per the inspection conducted, overall physical progress is at 40 per cent, and the project is classified as delayed, being approximately 50 calendar days behind schedule."

Nghipandulwa reiterated the ministry's commitment to strengthening livestock production, market access, and veterinary value chains across the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs). He highlighted that future planning priorities include expanding modernisation works to additional slaughter and livestock handling points, strengthening cold chain infrastructure and service reliability in remote regions. It also includes identifying new infrastructure opportunities under forthcoming national budget allocations and development partner support.

The spokesperson further said the project's finances are reported to be within the projected expenditure, and no approved variations are currently affecting the contract sum. The certified amount for Omutambomawe to date is N. dollars 3.9 million, representing 26 per cent of the total budget. This project also remains within the approved budget, with no cost overruns reported thus far. Betonstein Construction CC has been contracted for the Omutambomawe project, while West Trading CC is responsible for the renovation of the Opuwo slaughterhouse.