Desperate farmers receive fodder
Several Good Samaritans have come on board to show Namibia's spirit of helping those in a time of need.
A total of 11 trucks filled to the brim with fodder left the Kaap Agri Namibia branch at Mariental yesterday morning, as part of efforts to provide some drought relief to southern farmers.
The initiative was started by Kaap Agri Namibia, but has since seen huge support from other local companies and individuals.
Kaap Agri Namibia managing director Werner Kruger said the trucks were carrying about 300 tons of fodder, which will be delivered to farmers' associations in the south.
He said each farmers' association will receive two truckloads of fodder. According to Kruger the aim was to collect 20 trucks of fodder.
“So this is just the first delivery. We decided to deliver the fodder to the south of the country first, because this is where the need is the greatest. Even though there was some rains over the past weekend, we know that this does not mean there will suddenly grass. It will still take some time.”
Kruger said when they have collected the second instalment of fodder they will look at other hotspots in the country where it is very dry.
He invited anyone interested in supporting the initiative financially or who perhaps wants to donate in other ways, to contact him.
Kruger added that as long as the support is there they will keep delivering drought relief to Namibian farmers.
The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) and the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers' Union (NECFCU) recently warned that the ongoing drought is a national crisis and compiled an emergency drought action plan, which was discussed with agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb.
The two agricultural unions said the difference between the current drought and those in previous years, are that no parts of Namibia have received good rains to date.
According to the unions, Namibia has experienced below-normal rainfall conditions for five out of seven years since 2013.
This depleted the growth reserves of rangelands, as well as carryover fodder in the veld. Also, the foot-and-mouth outbreak in South Africa resulted in producer prices for sheep and weaners dropping with about 30%, in comparison to December 2018.
The unions said producers therefore have to urgently remove livestock from the veld at much lower prices and the current rainfall forecast for the season going forward is also not very positive.
ELLANIE SMIT
A total of 11 trucks filled to the brim with fodder left the Kaap Agri Namibia branch at Mariental yesterday morning, as part of efforts to provide some drought relief to southern farmers.
The initiative was started by Kaap Agri Namibia, but has since seen huge support from other local companies and individuals.
Kaap Agri Namibia managing director Werner Kruger said the trucks were carrying about 300 tons of fodder, which will be delivered to farmers' associations in the south.
He said each farmers' association will receive two truckloads of fodder. According to Kruger the aim was to collect 20 trucks of fodder.
“So this is just the first delivery. We decided to deliver the fodder to the south of the country first, because this is where the need is the greatest. Even though there was some rains over the past weekend, we know that this does not mean there will suddenly grass. It will still take some time.”
Kruger said when they have collected the second instalment of fodder they will look at other hotspots in the country where it is very dry.
He invited anyone interested in supporting the initiative financially or who perhaps wants to donate in other ways, to contact him.
Kruger added that as long as the support is there they will keep delivering drought relief to Namibian farmers.
The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) and the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers' Union (NECFCU) recently warned that the ongoing drought is a national crisis and compiled an emergency drought action plan, which was discussed with agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb.
The two agricultural unions said the difference between the current drought and those in previous years, are that no parts of Namibia have received good rains to date.
According to the unions, Namibia has experienced below-normal rainfall conditions for five out of seven years since 2013.
This depleted the growth reserves of rangelands, as well as carryover fodder in the veld. Also, the foot-and-mouth outbreak in South Africa resulted in producer prices for sheep and weaners dropping with about 30%, in comparison to December 2018.
The unions said producers therefore have to urgently remove livestock from the veld at much lower prices and the current rainfall forecast for the season going forward is also not very positive.
ELLANIE SMIT
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