Agri Today
Farmers in the Kunene region are slowly losing hope for better days. In their eyes, such hopes are as unrealistic as their wishes for rain in the region.
Coming on the heels of a devastating drought over the past two years in the region, which claimed hundreds of their livestock, the farmers are literally spending their last to remain afloat.
Many are now resting their hopes on the remaining handful of livestock left after the prolonged drought to carry them through the impending dry period.
“I on’t see any hope for us anymore, the situation keeps getting worse. I had hundreds of goats, and the number keeps decreasing every year. The drought robbed me of everything I worked hard for,” Ngumee Muharukua, a farmer and resident of Otjiu West said.
Farmers who had ploughed are faced with wilted crops and those who have harvested have not gotten enough to feed their households.
The drought in the region and the cries of the farmers forced the regional leadership to undertake a drought assessment mission recently, in order to determine the real impact of the crisis.
According to the regional governor, Marius Sheya, the assessment exercise was successful as it gave the office a clear picture of what they need in order to help the people in the community.
The areas visited in the Khorixas, Opuwo Rural and Epupa constituencies are grouped from dry to very dry, despite the last rainfall received in April. The situation has thus not changed much and it is predicted that grazing pastures are set to dry up soon and will not be enough to cater for the animals until the next rainy season.
Johannes Antsino, regional councillor for Outjo constituency said there is a need to have effective policies to deal with the matter.
“We needed to look at the current status quo regarding the drought and to establish whether the interventions that were done from private and public sectors have had a positive impact on the ground.
This could only be possible if we go out there and practically be on the ground instead of being in the office and remain dependent on theories,” he said.
Antsino said the region has abundant water and land resources alongside the Kunene River but such resources need to be fully developed if they are to benefit communities.
He also requested the government to provide more resources so that the Kunene leadership will be able to come up with permanent solutions to the drought situation.
During the assessment, the office of the governor distributed food to identified households, whereas participating stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health and Social Services administered basic healthcare to communities.
Another participating stakeholder, the Ngatuuane Farmers Union, represented by its chairperson Ben Kapi, aided by donating bales of grass that were distributed to farmers in the region.
Kapi urged the public to support the affected farmers and said the union will continue to help with more bales of grass.
Sheya thanked those that participated in the assessment and promised that the matter will be followed through.
The assessment team also consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security, Namibia Red Cross Society and the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU).
The north-western part of Kunene region comprising Kaoko and Sesfontein constituencies have received poor rainfall during the rainy season, while the rest of northern Kunene has received good rainfall after several years of raging drought.
The Kunene regional capital, Opuwo and the surrounding villages of Ohandungu, Etanga, Onjuva, Orupembe and Otjitanda have been hit hard by the raging drought.
This has forced both small and large stock farmers to move in large numbers from drought-stricken areas in search of pastures for the animals. -Roots Online