The Namibian government intends to start a large sugar production project covering 10 000 ha in the Caprivi Zipfel. Infrastructure comprises a 33 km long canal with further canals, dikes, berms, roads, power lines, and housing to be constructed. Initially 9,76 cubic metres per second are to be abstracted from the Zambezi River and up to 14,1 cubic metres at a later stage. The project can possibly clash with migratory wildlife like elephants and buffalo ant the regional Okavango Upper Zambezi International Tourism (OUZIT) project, which was signed off by President Sam Nujoma and neighbouring heads of state at Katima Mulilo last year.

AfriDev Associates, contracted in 2001 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, are finalising the Environmental Assessments of the sugar cane irrigation scheme in Caprivi and the possible rehabilitation of Lake Liambezi. The findings of these studies will be presented at 2 public meetings, which will provide an opportunity for members of the public and other stakeholders to comment and discuss the findings of the EA. The public can attend these meetings and give their input. The meeting in Windhoek is on Tuesday, 10th February 2004, at 18h00 in the Safari Hotel (Room Kuiseb II) and in Katima Mulilo on 11th February 2004 at the town hall at 10h30. For further information about the meetings, Jessica Hughes can be contacted at AfriDev Consultants afridev@iafrica.com or Robin Clanahan at canavit@mweb.co.za.

Members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will hold an extra-ordinary summit in Dar es Salaam on food security and agriculture in April to discuss poverty reduction and food security by means of agriculture. A preparatory meeting for ministers of agriculture and natural resources will start in Dar Es Salaam next week from 11 to 14 February. According to the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone, Botswana, the summit was necessary because regional policies and agricultural programmes had to be implemented "as a matter of urgency." In a statement released in Gaborone this week, it was pointed out that immediate action plans are to be adopted at the special summit to address key challenges to accelerate food production in southern Africa and "revamp agriculture" through a regional action plan. With sufficient resource allocation and investments in agriculture, infrastructure support and water management, the SADC region could

assure food self-sufficiency and reduced poverty by 2015, the statement said. Namibia’s minister of agriclture, Helmut Angula will attend the preparatory meeting next week. Only last week, the EU donated 7,9 million Euros to the SADC secretariat to promote regional integration and sustainable livestock production until 2009. Envisaged projects include disease control, improved livestock utilisation to produce more milk, meat, skins and related products.