Olives hold major potential

NAMIBIA’S environment and climate are ideal for large-scale olive farming.

The local and international demand for quality olive products such as table olives and oil is also increasing, and the potential for international export is attractive. The only problem is that olive farming in Namibia is still on a very small scale, with only a handful of growers who are producing marketable products.These were some of the points of discussion at a recent series of lectures hosted by the Sam Nujoma Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre (Sanumarc) at Henties Bay.About 60 existing and prospective farmers attended the event.The lectures were given by olive-farming specialists from South Africa and Namibia.Rolly Heiser, who is one of the pioneers of olive farming in Namibia and boasts with several thousand olive trees on his farm near Hochfeld, said there are about 33 olive growers in Namibia, only five of whom are producing olive products.He said Namibia’s olive-oil supply was about 3 000 litres a year, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the local demand of 40 000 litres.He said if Namibia wanted to meet the local demand and become a lucrative exporter of olive oil, at least 76 000 litres a year would have to be produced.This could only happen if the size of olive plantations and the number of olive farms increased.According to Osmund Mwandemele, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research at Unam, olives are a relatively new crop in Namibia.There are currently only five successful pioneers who have proven over the past 15 years that it could be a lucrative product.He said the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry has identified areas suitable for olive cultivation in order to encourage farmers to move from low-margin agricultural activities to more profitable ones like olive production.Mwandemele said Government saw the successful cultivation of olives as an important contributor to the socio-economic development of the country.According to him, 60 per cent of olive oil and 15 per cent of table olives consumed in southern Africa are imported, and the demand is increasing.Namibia’s weather and environment are considered ideal for olive farming, and according to Junior van Rooyen of Weltevrede, local producers have determined which olive cultivars do well here.The “frantoio” and “mission” cultivars were mentioned as particularly successful, hence Van Rooyen encouraged existing and prospective producers not to try and reinvent the wheel by experimenting with cultivars, but just to “keep on rolling it”.Nico Uys, who is a national advisor on olive farming in South Africa, said there are more benefits to olive farming.According to him, olives encourage a healthy lifestyle, olive trees beautify the environment, and olive farming creates jobs because it is a very labour-intensive crop.He agreed that Namibia has major potential for olive production, although there is still much to learn to establish a profitable industry.The only problem is that olive farming in Namibia is still on a very small scale, with only a handful of growers who are producing marketable products.These were some of the points of discussion at a recent series of lectures hosted by the Sam Nujoma Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre (Sanumarc) at Henties Bay.About 60 existing and prospective farmers attended the event.The lectures were given by olive-farming specialists from South Africa and Namibia.Rolly Heiser, who is one of the pioneers of olive farming in Namibia and boasts with several thousand olive trees on his farm near Hochfeld, said there are about 33 olive growers in Namibia, only five of whom are producing olive products.He said Namibia’s olive-oil supply was about 3 000 litres a year, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the local demand of 40 000 litres.He said if Namibia wanted to meet the local demand and become a lucrative exporter of olive oil, at least 76 000 litres a year would have to be produced.This could only happen if the size of olive plantations and the number of olive farms increased.According to Osmund Mwandemele, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research at Unam, olives are a relatively new crop in Namibia.There are currently only five successful pioneers who have proven over the past 15 years that it could be a lucrative product.He said the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry has identified areas suitable for olive cultivation in order to encourage farmers to move from low-margin agricultural activities to more profitable ones like olive production.Mwandemele said Government saw the successful cultivation of olives as an important contributor to the socio-economic development of the country.According to him, 60 per cent of olive oil and 15 per cent of table olives consumed in southern Africa are imported, and the demand is increasing.Namibia’s weather and environment are considered ideal for olive farming, and according to Junior van Rooyen of Weltevrede, local producers have determined which olive cultivars do well here.The “frantoio” and “mission” cultivars were mentioned as particularly successful, hence Van Rooyen encouraged existing and prospective producers not to try and reinvent the wheel by experimenting with cultivars, but just to “keep on rolling it”.Nico Uys, who is a national advisor on olive farming in South Africa, said there are more benefits to olive farming.According to him, olives encourage a healthy lifestyle, olive trees beautify the environment, and olive farming creates jobs because it is a very labour-intensive crop.He agreed that Namibia has major potential for olive production, although there is still much to learn to establish a profitable industry.