Epukiro expo promises thriller … Brahman competition to thrive
Zebaldt Ngaruka OHAMBO JATATE – A fierce contest is expected at the Epukiro Business and Agricultural Expo 2026, where Brahman cattle will take centre stage in the Omaheke region. The event is characterised as the World Cup for communal farmers. Despite being a crowning ceremony, its purpose is to empower local farmers, improve food security... The post Epukiro expo promises thriller … Brahman competition to thrive appeared first on New Era .
OHAMBO JATATE – A fierce contest is expected at the Epukiro Business and Agricultural Expo 2026, where Brahman cattle will take centre stage in the Omaheke region. The event is characterised as the World Cup for communal farmers.
Despite being a crowning ceremony, its purpose is to empower local farmers, improve food security and boost the rural economy.
Speaking to New Era, Katjinduu Tjahuha, the chairperson of the Eastern Epukiro Farmers Association (EEFA), said this year’s event grew to another level.
Farmers brought a huge amount of their produce, with 250 cattle and close to 400 small stock participating.
“This is an overwhelming experience. Our constituency is known for producing quality animals and is one of the founders of communal area agricultural shows,” he said.
Despite being a business and agricultural expo, the event has the cattle competition dominating, with Brahman leading, which complements the Brahman championship year.
“Out of 250 cattle, 200 are Brahmans. This will be a tough battle between different breeders. The Brahman is a histaorical breed in this area, and is bred by most farmers here,” said the chairperson.
He added that the Epukiro Business and Agricultural Expo is communal farmers’ passage to other bigger showcasing platforms like Gobabis and Windhoek Agricultural Shows.
“We always host many exhibitors from other regions, and this year is not different. This is an indication that our event has grown and been acknowledged by many in the farming industry,” he said.
He said the current Windhoek Agricultural Show champion bull, Pule from Okanene Brahman Stud, won in Gobabis and completed its winning streak at the Windhoek Show.
This year’s highlights include a record Brahman bull bought for N$800 000 by Shamrock Investments’ Collin Venaani, while Karima Brahman Stud’s bull, acquired for N$ 280 000, is also in the mix.
“I have to compliment them for their tremendous achievement in recent shows in Omaheke and their potential of going far and being visible,” said Tjahuha.
The chairperson further called on the farming community to come in numbers.
He said security aspects for both animals and humans have been beefed up.
“We will receive a reinforcement from police in Gobabis to make sure that order is observed while our own police in Epukiro are on the ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, EEFA’s chief marketing officer Kauetu Murangi, shared with New Era that all logistical arrangements are in place and exhibitors started arriving as early as Monday in Epukiro for the much-anticipated event.
“We did the classification of small stock (sheep and goats) on Tuesday, while the judging and awarding of goats was done on Wednesday,” he said.
Murangi added that today is earmarked for sheep judgement and classification of cattle, whereas Friday is the official opening ceremony.
Among the speakers will be Minister of agriculture, Inge Zaamwani; the director of the National Planning Commission, Kaire Mbuende, and Finance minister, Erica Shafudah.
“Immediately after the official programme on Friday, we will commence with the dogs’ competition and the awarding ceremony. This will be followed by cattle judging and an award ceremony until late,” he added.
Friday evening is reserved for a bonfire session, where farmers, industry experts and corporates will exchange ideas.
This is a good opportunity for farmers to ask questions themselves on various things.
The Brahman cattle show will kick off at 09h00 on Saturday and run until 16h00.
“We dedicated this much time to Brahman cattle, as we received massive participation in that breed,” he said.
There will also be a raffle ticket draw between 16h30 and 17h30, while the live DJ entertainment will take over proceedings until late.
Despite being a showcasing competition, Epukiro Business and Agricultural Expo’s primary aim is to create a marketplace, where small-scale farmers can showcase their produce, learn new skills and connect directly with buyers, financial experts and government programmes.
The event is expected to end on Sunday.
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