KEETMANSHOOP: The Namibia Grape Company (NGC) achieved top honors in the 2023 table grape block competition held in Aussenkehr, with Sox Kambindji, NGC’s Senior Production Manager, winning the coveted title in the production block category.

According to the Namibia Press Agency (Nampa), the competition, which was initiated in 2007, serves to promote excellence in table grape production and underscore the significance of the industry to the Namibian economy. Kambindji earned a week-long working trip to the United States, while Flippus Hamanyala, Junior Production Manager at NGC, received a cash prize of N.dollars 10,000.

In his comments to Nampa, Kambindji expressed enthusiasm about the opportunity to exchange knowledge and techniques with American grape producers. Detailing his team’s preparation, he emphasized a rigorous quality-focused approach, beginning with pruning and extending to crop control, which is practiced consistently and not just for competition purposes.

The vice-chairperson of the Namibia Grape Growers Association, Kobus Bothma, stated on Monday that the competition attracted eight entries in the production block category and five in the young vine block category. The participants were from grape companies located in Noordoewer, Aussenkehr, and Komsberg. The competition was conducted on Saturday at the Aussenkehr grape farm.

In addition to the personal accolade for Kambindji, NGC also secured N.dollars 15,000 for a second-place finish in the production blocks category, while Cape Orchard Company received N.dollars 7,000 for third place.

In the young vine block category, Fairview grape company won the first prize of N.dollars 15,000 and vine stocks from Voor-Groenberg, South Africa, valued at N.dollars 50,000. Sonop Farms came in second, winning N.dollars 7,500 and vines worth N.dollars 37,500 from Bosman Adama, South Africa. NGC claimed third place again, with a cash prize of N.dollars 3,500.

The competition highlights the growing prominence of the Namibian table grape industry and the quality of the produce which contributes to the country’s agricultural sector.