DHP - Interim Progress Report

2018-11-15

I have settled at DiHoko, to tend to the DHP Farming Operations, full time, since the beginning of August 2018. The initial ‘training phase’ for drip irrigation and fertigation was over by the end of September, so we started to plant in all earnestness.

The Garden has 6 blocks of 1 350 M²  each, of which 4 will be under cultivation on a round robin basis. 2 Blocks will be at rest continuously and there will be no harvests during June and July each year.

Many small issues had to be sorted out such as i) re-measuring the bigger garden for the 4 identical blocks to be able to be moved to its next position, easily, ii) Re-evaluating the fertigation feed-rate schedules to ensure that the plants are fed optimally and iii) Re-evaluating the pesticide schedules, to ensure optimal pest control.

We had a problem with grasshoppers that can cause serious trouble to seedlings newly transplanted. Then there was the problem with the Mole-Crickets, damaging root systems.

October and November are the extremely hot months of the year, because this is typically the period just before the first rain. The watering schedules had to be adjusted as well, to cater for 3 sessions every day. This is to minimize the shock-effect of the heat.

We expect a harvest of 6 Ton tomatoes at the end of November, with the monthly yield increasing, gradually, to 10 Ton per month, once all the issues are fully under  control.

The medium-term goal remains to ‘train local farmers and gardeners’, but we have to be successful, ourselves, first, before we have useful knowledge to share. DHP will enroll pre-selected students in association with the Kavango East Governor, according to an approved program. DHP will also approach donors and sponsors for these students, once the program is finalized.

For a little more insight, see the photos below:

Anton in his orange striped shirt, with his family and casual workers, tending the fields.