A boost for milk production

Agribank and Namibia Dairies, in a joint venture, donated dairy cows to five emerging commercial and communal farmers last week, in an effort to stimulate dairy farming and milk production in the country.The five farmers, who are active in the Dordabis, Hochanas, Kalkrand, Otjozondjupa and Kunene areas, each received three heifers and a fridge at the handover that took place at the !Aimab Superfarm outside Mariental in the Hardap Region last week.One of the beneficiaries, 41-year-old Arnold Gaseb from the Kunene Region, said he hoped to be a catalyst to restore milk production in the region which has literally been obliterated by the persistent droughts. According to him the ‘omaere’ culture, entrenched in the Kunene communities, has virtually died out and has seen many children suffering from malnourishment, and general persistent even hunger. “We had a lot of farmers with cows in the region and milk was in abundance, but the drought has been devastating. I hope to bring back this culture with this donation. I already have 30 calves and 15 dairy cows. This donation will really boost my ability,” he said. Gaseb farms with small stock and cattle on a communal farm barely 50 kilometres north-west from Kamanjab in the Grootberg vicinity. He started farming on a weekend basis in 2002 with just five goats and two cattle. He now owns 60 cattle and 250 small stock. “I now farm fulltime because of the stock theft. I had to sell many of my animals during the drought and used some of the money to build the Sa Kaite guesthouse to buffer me against the financial troubles caused by the drought,” he said. Another beneficiary was the 58-year-old Ernst Möwes who farms with his wife Rosy at their farm Endlich near Dordabis in the Khomas Region. Möwes also started farming as a weekend farmer and eventually changed to fulltime to keep a “closer eye” on his livestock.“We plan to provide milk to primary schools around our farm once we have this on track,” he said.According to Agribank CEO Sakaria Nghikembua the Rural Dairy Farmers Programme was established in 2016 after an agreement was signed between the bank and Namibia Dairies for the financing of some of the requirements of the !Aimab Superfarm.The project was split into two rounds with Namibia Dairies - with the assistance of the Mariental branch of Agribank - being responsible for the identification of ten potential farmers who could benefit from the scheme. Each beneficiary received three Holstein heifers of which two are pregnant, and a fridge to keep their milk or milk products refrigerated. “Agribank financed N$20 million to Namibia Dairies in February 2016 for production, implements and water infrastructure and one of the conditions was to have a rural dairy development programme,” he said. Beneficiaries are expected to produce milk and value-added milk products for subsistence use and for the benefit of the surrounding farming communities. It is envisaged that the initiative will also create further employment opportunities in their respective communities and food security at a household level. Beneficiaries of this scheme do not necessary hold loans with Agribank and are often selected on merit and the ability to care for dairy cows and their products. JEMIMA BEUKES

A boost for milk production

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-20

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A boost for milk production

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-20

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