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Valentine's Day is a special day to celebrate love and affection, but it is also a suitable time to reflect on our finances.

One of Namibia’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) chains, Metro Namibia, has generated more than N$2 billion in revenue for the six months ended 30 October 2022, a 23% growth of the prior period.

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Namibian Fund Managers remain optimistic about the outlook for trading on the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) in 2023, with 56% of respondents in a recent Simonis Storm survey anticipating higher activity compared to 2022.

The Minister of Industrialisation and Trade (MIT) Lucia Iipumbu says there's a need to come up with modern business laws critical for Namibia's economic growth.

As the current rainy season progresses, good rainfall has been recorded in almost all parts of the country. 

As a result, crop farmers are witnessing a productive crop production season with noteworthy growth of maize, sorghum, and pearl millet (mahangu). 

However, amidst the pleasant growth, a crucial aspect of production to undertake, is weeding in their crop fields. 

By definition, a weed is an unwanted plant that grows among desirable crops that a farmer has planted. Weeds have negative effects as they compete with crops for water, nutrients & sunlight. 

Furthermore, weeds can significantly lower the quality of crops by contaminating seeds, while some weeds can be alternative hosts for pests and disease-causing organisms. 

However, when undertaking weed control, which is the actual removal of weeds from the field or garden on which the desired crop is growing. It is essential to ensure that economical and environmentally friendly techniques are used within a reasonable period to allow the main crop to grow well. 

Weed control is important for several reasons. Firstly, it reduces competition for water which is vital for growing crops. Secondly, weed control enables crops to have access to more sunlight which is absorbed by the leaves for chlorophyl to react with Carbon dioxide (CO2), which in turn produces Oxygen (O2) and simple sugars (Glucose or Fructose) that the desired crops translocated to the root system, leaves, stem, or fruits (grains) for storage, and this improves yield potential of the crop. 

Thirdly, when one undertakes weed control correctly and timely, it eliminates the possibility of the weeds becoming hosts of disease causing-organisms and pests. In turn, when pests are reduced, crops grow to maximum potential and the yield quality is not compromised thus enabling a farmer to sell high-quality produce. 

Finally, weed control is essential in the sense that when the weeds are removed manually and left to dry on the field, and decompose they tend to resupply the soil with nutrients such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. 

In conclusion, weed control is a Good Agricultural Practice that must be carried out by crop producers to help them produce good quality crops with a maximum yield potential. 

Lastly, weeds can be further suppressed by practicing crop rotation as crops are affected by different ranges of weeds. Maize may have a certain target range of weeds that may be different from the target range of weeds that attack Tomatoes.

*Hanks Saisai is a Technical Advisor: Crops & Poultry at Agribank

Andrada Mining's flagship Uis mine in Namibia has received a boost following the company's updated mineral resource estimate (MRE).

City of Windhoek and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development have delivered 570 houses to middle-income earners through the Informal Settlement Upgrading programme.

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The global economy is facing a new set of challenges in 2023, as inflation, geopolitical tensions, and the ongoing signs of the COVID pandemic continue to affect countries worldwide.

The City of Windhoek recorded the lowest value of approved building plans in 11 years, after 2,467 buildings worth N$1.75 billion were approved in 2022.

Osino Resources says it has received eight project finance offers from credible institutions to finance the construction of its wholly owned Twin Hills Gold Project in Namibia.

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