Category: Business

Swakop Uranium (SU) has outperformed its production target in the first half of 2023 by 10 per cent, which should see the mine reach its annual target production earlier than expected.

At 2 426 tonnes, the 2023 half-year uranium production represents a 45 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2022, according to the company.

The mine’s Executive Vice President, Irvine Simataa, in a recent press release said the significant improvement in uranium production is supported by a very strong mining and milling performance year to date, which are 29.6 per cent and 20.2 per cent up respectively compared to the same period in 2022.

“While achieving production volumes safely appears highly possible, emphasis remains on cost prudence areas such as water and electricity, where unplanned maintenance accelerated implementation of plans to mitigate the adverse impact of water supply, challenges are typically experienced in the successful execution of multi-million-dollar maintenance plans on both plant and mining equipment,” Simataa said.

He added that SU is confident to achieve and exceed benchmark reliabilities of assets to sustain current performance and uranium production is expected to meet and exceed budget production guidance.

Additionally, the company envisages spending an additional N.dollars 290 million in the second half for the construction of a demonstration heap leach plant meant to unlock future uranium production potential, particularly in low grade ore.

The said investment into pit expansions and the heap leach pilot according to Simataa, is meant to secure ore reserves for future processing in the plant and support the Life-of-Mine plan.

“To explore the economic feasibility of processing lower grade uranium ore, SU is in the process of investing in the construction of a pilot heap leach plant, at an estimated cost of N.dollars 290 million and pilot plant tests will be concluded by the end of 2025, after which further investment will be made to expand to a commercial plant, if found to be economically feasible,” he said.

SU currently employs 1 700 permanent employees and over 2 000 contracting staff, making it one of the biggest employers in Namibia.

Source: NAMPA

The Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization (KALRO) has introduced a cross breed Sheep that matures early with higher productivity ratings that is expected to turn around the livestock sector.

The Dorper sheep which was developed in South Africa and well adopted in Kenyan environment was a high breed of the Dorset Horn and local black head Persian sheep and was proven to produce more meat rather than fat during the case study on the ration technology.

The new technology is expected to be a game changer in the sector that has for years seen pastoralists rear traditional breeds for ages without notable improvement in their well-being as the ravages of climate change takes a toll on their livelihoods.

The new concepts however offers hope for farmers after studies indicated that it had shorten the rearing period from two years to seven months and proved that the fattening of sheep under feedlot systems will not only save time and space but will also post better returns.

Speaking during a Dorper sheep trade fair and a field day on the validation and adoption of the new technology by end users at Nturumeti Sub location in Narok County, KALRO Director General Dr. Eliud Kireger said the feedlot technology will see the sheep acquire weight and mature early.

Dr. Margaret Syomiti , AgriFi Kenya CAPP Principal Investigator explaining the feeding programme for the Dorper sheep.

‘The rearing period from birth to marketing of Dorper sheep will now be shortened from 3years old to 6.5 months only and this will automatically increase the rate of returns and farm enterprise profitable and sustainable’, he added

The DG noted that farmers with large stock were grappling with challenges of feeding the local sheep for close to three years before maturity to attain around 45 kilograms of their weight incurring huge losses.

‘The feedlot finishing rations given to the Dorper sheep are able to attain market weights above 40kgs within two and half months post weaning at four months of age beyond which there is no economic incentive for continuing keeping the animal’, he said

He acknowledged that most technologies were developed and available for use but reaching the targeted farmers has always been a challenge despite the fact that the sector was more promising than ever with reports indicating that the consumption of livestock products was growing in developing countries hence the urgency to scale up production.

‘The secret is the high quality of these forage-legume based finisher rations which are well formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of the young growing animals and enhanced management systems’, he added

Kenya is currently a net importer of meat and related products and the situation is projected to get worse as income and urbanization grows. Under the existing production systems the slaughter weight of sheep in the country is low.

Dr. Kireger decried that for the youth in agriculture were not interested in long term investment of waiting for 3 years for their sheep to mature but had an option of buying stock from the market and fatten the sheep within 3 months and make sales within the a short time.

He added that they can also be able to develop and sell farmers rations by learning from the technology which constitutes the formulation of the rations of high quality forage -legume based to manage their flocks for early marketing and not just embrace one part of the chain of production.

‘There is high demand particularly from the youth for market oriented production systems for meat products that reduces the age of slaughter which increases the market weight of marketed animals ‘, Dr. Kireger said

Dr. George Keya, the National coordinator of the AgriFi Kenya Climate Smart Agricultural Productivity Project (CS-APP) funded by the European Union and the Government of Kenya said the development of the sheep ration technology was critical in developing finishing ration that can finish small ruminants of sheep and goat in a short period of time so that they can reach the market weight within the shortest possible time.

He noted that the development of the rations at the KALRO Bachuma centre has so far shown encouraging results with farmers able to sell their Dorper sheep within 7 months from the time of birth at a market weight of between 45 and 55kgs.

Dr. Keya confirmed that a lot of children especially from the pastoralists communities are now going to school and land is also becoming marginal thus requiring use of new technologies systems to utilize small land and use a shortened period to market which was found to be cost effective and encouraged commercialization of the production system.

‘ Through this technology we have seen that for it to be profitable, one needs a minimum of around 40 sheep and we can estimate that within three months if you have between 40 or even 100 Dorper sheep you can make Ksh 1 million ‘, he asserted.

Dr. Margaret Syomiti , the Principal Investigator of the project said the Dorper sheep are usually fed 1.5 kgs of the feeds every day for three months for them to hit the 45 kg weight recommended

‘Farmers were initially releasing their cows to graze from 6 a.m. in the morning to 6 p.m in the evening taking almost 10 hours to feed their animals, but under the new system, the nutrient concentrations in the feeds give the animals the critical components to develop faster unlike when those found in pastures which had deficiency gaps’, she said

Dr. Syomiti explained that the high nutrition given to the early maturing Dorper sheep which has a fast growth rate, has been tested scientifically and with various treatments of crude protein and energy levels in comparison to the farmers traditional methods, they have been able to see for themselves with data analyzed showing traditional ones weighing around 32 kgs while the ones fed on rations weighing 55 kgs.

‘The benefits of using Rations is that it shortens the rearing period , increases rates of returns of investment for the farmer and is also a good opportunity for the unemployed youths’, she said.

The feed grass rations ready for feeding animals. Pictures by Wangari Ndirangu

Dr. Syomoti called on more partnerships to further upscale the technology which she said can be commercialized.

Jackson Naikuni, the livestock farmer from Nturumeti village while embracing the new technology said that pastoralists now have a reason for keeping Dorper sheep that will see them save space and resources required under convention systems.

‘I stopped taking my sheep out to grazing fields since April after realizing difference and the returns because am able to sell three times in a year unlike before when I used to toil for around three years in order to fetch better price’, he said .

Naikuni said with the profitable grass based feeds which they can now grow within their farms, the security of the animals from attacks from wild animals was settled and now the family enjoys better returns within three months with less risks and efforts.

He called upon other pastoralists to embrace the KALRO technology and also change the breeds to the Dorper sheep which could survive in dry climates adding ‘We need to change our breed from the red maasai sheep we have had overtime and which has not been bringing good income and embrace the Dorper sheep breed whose market is ready’.

AgriFi Kenya Climate Smart Agricultural Technologies productivity project is a 5 year government of Kenya project co-funded through a grant from the European Union and is being implemented by KALRO with partners.

Sheep rearing contributes to food production, rural employment and GDP by converting roughage into meat, wool and skin. The project embarked on developing the technology and the validation trial was implemented between May and July 2023 in Narok County.

The theme for the Trade fair was ‘Enhancing rural livelihoods in ASALs through finishing ration to tap fast growth in Dorper Sheep for early markets’.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kwale-based Australian mining firm Base Titanium says its efforts to prospect and explore for minerals in Kwale East dunes are being slowed down by a section of residents opposed to its activities.

The mining company says the new exploration activities in Kwale East represent an opportunity to extend Kwale Operation’s mine life beyond December 2024.

In an effort to extend its operations, Base Titanium is seeking to identify additional mineral deposits that may lie in proximity to the existing operational zones.

Exploration involves a range of activities to help determine if there are potentially lucrative minerals under the earth.

Base Titanium owns and manages Kwale Operation, a high-grade mineral sands mine rich in rutile, ilmenite and zircon that commenced production in 2013.

The fresh drilling campaign seeks to fully harness the commercially viable mineral deposits in the area and evaluate the merits of a long-life mining operation.

The Kwale Operation currently accounts for approximately 65 percent of Kenya’s mining industry by mineral output value and the Central and South Dunes currently form part of the Kwale Project.

Base Titanium General Manager External Affairs Simon Wall says if the exploration process identifies critical minerals that could be commercially extracted, then mining may begin.

Wall says the mining company has so far undertaken 1100 exploration drill holes in the first phase but is narrowing down to about 400 to 500 targeted drill holes before embarking on a full-scale mining operation.

‘The resource upgrade drilling programme underway in the Kwale East region represents our best opportunity for further mine life extension, with over 11,000 holes drilled to date,’ Wall noted.

He says mineral sands exploration represents an opportunity to extend Kwale’s mine life and, with it, bring further employment, economic output, development and community benefits.

Wall says based on current reserves, the Kwale sand mine has a limited operational life and estimates show that at the end of 2024, the reserve would be depleted and the mine would close.

He says initial exploration activities, such as mapping, would start over a large area and then target smaller and smaller areas.

‘The aim is to see if mineralization is at levels large enough to be commercially extracted,’ he said.

In order to obtain the most accurate sampling for determining grade, drill holes will normally be aimed at intersecting a potential ore body at a high angle.

The hole will also be targeted to intersect mineralization at a depth where a good core or cutting return can be expected.

Wall says the exploration drilling is planned in a pattern to be conducted in sequence to facilitate midterm assessment of quality, quantity, and reliability of the estimates.

He says mineral prospecting and exploration proceed step by step, taking into account geological and geophysical maps to delineate areas of interest.

Wall revealed that a bad blood situation is now brewing between those who favour and those who are opposed to the ongoing mining exploration.

‘As a responsible company, Base Titanium consults local communities before carrying out prospecting, exploration and mining activities,’ he said.

He says the majority of the local community welcomed the expanding exploration and mining activities but a handful were resisting the programme.

‘Mineral exploration is the process of searching for evidence with the goal of identifying exploitable mineral deposits and is always performed on someone’s land, for which we must seek consent,’ he said.

Wall was speaking when Base Titanium met with representatives from the National and Kwale County governments, elected leaders from the County, community representatives and members of the civil society to provide a status update of Base’s exploration activities in Kwale East.

Kwale County Commissioner Meru Mwangi underscored the need for the local leadership to engage the residents to change their negative attitudes and values to mineral exploration and mining.

The top mining official says a few households have refused permission for the company to dig their land for drilling, thus threatening to stall the entire exercise that has gobbled up a fortune as the ‘mineral exploration phase is long and costly’.

Some of the villagers in the area who are dependent on agriculture and opposed to the mineral exploration activities are not sure what the future holds.

‘If the few families within the immediate vicinity of the mining sites prove uncooperative, then we will have no option but to suspend the mineral exploration activities, threatening hundreds of jobs,’ he said.

Wall says the company, which is accredited as a Kenya Vision 2030 flagship mining project, holds mineral exploration and mining licences but that managing the expectations of the local communities in the minerals sector is proving cumbersome.

He says the exploration licence gives the flagship company sole rights to search for a specific mineral within the specified areas.

In order for companies to be able to carry out ore exploration and mining activities, they must obtain the approval of the local community, often referred to as the social licence to operate (SLO).

‘We are cognizant of the fact that social licence demands transparency and accountability, which we are going out of our way to meet as community engagement is an important element in our mining operations,’ said Wall.

He says the local community, who are the key stakeholders, is demanding stronger engagement and transparency, so much so that a social licence would soon be akin to a mining permit, without which mining companies would find it impossible to operate.

Kwale County Commissioner (CC) Meru Mwangi says the SLO provides engagement opportunities between companies and the communities in which they work.

Mwangi says social licence is the acceptance of the mining company by its employees, its community stakeholders and the general public.

The CC says the local leadership would meet and convince the reluctant community members opposing the mining exploration to agree to the continuation of the mineral exploration activities.

‘There is no question that investment in mining will continue to be needed for the betterment of the country,’ he said, adding that the mineral resource dilemma is how to balance competing interests.

He added The local leadership should also engage the residents to change their negative attitudes and values towards mineral exploration and mining’.

Kwale County Executive Committee Member for Environment and Natural Resources Saumu Beja says the devolved unit seeks to support investors and enhance investment in the mining sector.

Ms. Beja says the county will allow the company to carry out the drilling programme for mineral exploration in schools, health facilities and other social amenities.

‘As a devolved government, we are ready to collaborate with Base Titanium and ask all stakeholders to support the mineral exploration activities,’ she said, adding that mining is one of Kwale’s most important economic sectors.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Ethiopia and Morocco have been enjoying good relationships and fruitful cooperation since recent years, Morocco Ambassador M’hammdi said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Ambassador Nezha Alaoui M’hammdi noted that bilateral cooperation between the two countries goes back to half a century.

Since then the countries have enjoyed good relationship and fruitful cooperation that was boosted by the visit of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to Ethiopia in November 2016, she added.

According to her, the visit gave the opportunity to sign around 16 agreements to work together in strategic fields such as agriculture, food sovereignty, education, investment and economic cooperation.

Morocco’s commitment to work with Ethiopia on the agricultural field is not only exclusively about fertilizer, it is about agriculture in general, the ambassador stated.

“Through this partnership we would like to also share our know-how, what we have been able to achieve in Morocco. In Morocco we have what we call Green Morocco Plan. It is a governmental program that has been developed more than 20 years ago; and it is a comprehensive development program.”

Ambassador M’hammdi said that it is a comprehensive framework to boost agriculture and therefore to ensure the food sovereignty of the country, adding that partnering with Ethiopia in this regard is an ambition of my country to share the know-how that we have been able to achieve.

Speaking about the growing cooperation in the engagement of the private sector, she pointed out that two delegations representing the Moroccan banks, namely Attijariwafa Bank and Bank of Africa, have visited Ethiopia in May and in June respectively.

“The aim of this visit is to explore with Ethiopian authorities how we can work in the banking system together. As you know the country is going through a very dynamic reforms process here in Ethiopia, and the banking system is opening up and attracting a lot of interest and a lot of proposals for good cooperation and also a fruitful partnership for the benefit of both sides,” the ambassador elaborated.

Ambassador M’hammdi also said that Morocco “is very keen not only to develop cooperation, investment and trade with African countries, including Ethiopia which is a strategic partner; but also to strengthen South-South cooperation.”

Regarding trade, she stated that the potential is very big in terms of complimenting each other and “what we need is to know each other on how to make it beneficial for both countries.”

Sport is also another field of very promising cooperation between the countries, according to the ambassador.

“We can share expertise and achievements in football with Ethiopia, but Ethiopia can also share with Morocco the great potential that the country has in terms of athletics.”

Ethiopian athletes are very famous around the world and sport in general is very good field of cooperation and field of mutual inspiration between the countries, Ambassador M’hammdi explained.

She recalled the recently meeting of the foreign affairs ministers of the two countries in Nairobi during the AU summit, pointing out that it is another illustration of the willingness of the counties to meet and update each other.

The next Ethio-Morocco joint commission meeting will also be an opportunity to review the legal framework, set up the follow-up mechanism and also see where we still can have other agreements in other fields of common interest.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

The Ministry of Mines and Energy has announced that fuel prices will remain unchanged for the month of August.

Senior Public Relations Officer in the ministry, Andreas Simon in a media release issued on Friday said fuel prices will remain at N.dollars 19,78 per litre for petrol, while diesel 50 ppm will remain at N.dollars 19,05 per litre. The price of diesel 10 ppm will also remain at N.dollars 19,25 per litre.

Simon said the ministry recorded an under recovery on both petrol and diesel in July.

He said an under-recovery of 54 cents per litre on petrol was recorded during June, 53 cents per litre on diesel 50 ppm, and 54 cents on diesel 10 ppm.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Finance and Public Enterprises Minister, Iipumbu Shiimi, urged the ||Kharas business community to report any nepotism and any process favouring certain individuals when it comes to awarding of tenders.

Shiimi made the call during an engagement meeting between the ||Kharas Region business community and the minister and his delegation here after participants at the meeting alleged that there are certain individuals that are earmark for tenders in the region.

“The law is very clear that tenders should be given to the most responsive bidder, people in public offices managing tenders should ensure tenders are given to those that can deliver so we do not end up with unfinished projects as we currently have. They should know that they are not there to give tenders to their friends and if that happens and you have proof of such activities, that is a violation of the law and you can report to our ministry,” he said.

One of the participants Sherline Jossob alleged that only certain individuals are given tenders at Keetmanshoop urging that a database be established to ensure that all SMEs benefit from tenders as the current system does not work and only certain individuals benefit.

“Here in Keetmanshoop we are killing one another as tenders especially catering tenders are given to certain individuals, it does not matter if you are in good standing with [the finance ministry], you will not get it, it’s like the tenders are earmarked for some people, let us fix the system, let us create a database to ensure that not only some people get the tenders,” she stressed.

Another participant Otto Apollus said: “Tenders are given to people that are not capable of doing them and finishing them for that matter, you need to know how to do the job before you even apply for the tender, if you don’t know do not apply for it, but what is happening now is not right.”

Cyril Pieters added that some of the reasons that hinder small and medium businesses to grow is lack of necessary services in the region to cater for them.

“We don’t have Development Bank of Namibia here, not even Agribank, if we need services from those entities and others, we need to travel up to Windhoek which is expensive and sometimes you get there with the wrong paperwork, we need these entities closer to us, it not about us getting the money fast, it is getting the services and if that is addressed, we will be able to do business easier, the system is the one that makes us to be behind,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency