Chinese know-how contributes to better rice in Namibia

The only national rice research center in Namibia was facing challenges but a team of Chinese experts has brought them solutions they needed.

The Kalimbeza Rice Research and Production Station, in the northeast, had wanted to improve the quality of rice in the country but was constrained by a lack of equipment and know-how.

The situation has drastically changed since the Chinese agricultural experts came here in April, 2015 to conduct a two-year know-how transfer program, said farm manager of Kalimbeza rice project, Patrick Kompeli.

"The Chinese have assisted workers at the project in some areas where we lacked knowledge and experience, and so far four counterparts have benefited from this program, of which they will later impart their acquired knowledge onto other Namibians," Kompeli said.

In the past, all field operations in the center were done manually, such as transplanting, harvesting and sorting of rice.

The government first addressed the lack of equipment shortly before the experts arrived.

"The government managed to acquire some machinery such as rice combine harvester, rice processing machine, rice trans-planters," Kompeli said.

Then it turned to the Chinese experts to address the expertise problems.

"The experts have shared knowledge with us, on how to prepare the rice nursery, how to treat seeds with chlorine to control diseases, and how seeds are pre-germinated before being sowed in the seedling trays, as well as how to prepare the seedlings for mechanical transplanting," Kompeli said.

He further said the experts had imparted their knowledge on how to level the paddy with the wooden pole to distribute water equally in the field and how to prepare land for seed broadcast, which is vital in rice production.

With the equipment and the Chinese expertise, rice production in the center has soured from four hectares in 2007 to 70 hectares in 2015.

The Kalimbeza Rice has become popular and is being sold commercially across the country. Endit