Engen fuels N$1m drought relief
09 August 2019 | Disasters
Engen has handed over N$1 million to the Dare to Care Fund to support Namibia's farmers who have been ravaged by a seven-year drought. The fund now has N$8.4 million.
Engen announced in early June that it would contribute to the Fund five cents for every litre of petrol purchased from an Engen service station in Namibia from 1 June to 31 August.
The money raised over the three months will be used to help subsidise fodder. The latest donation from July fuel sales follows N$850 000 that was donated for June, bringing the total given by the fuel company to N$1.85 million.
“At the outset we stated that our target is to raise N$3 million to help the country's commercial and subsistence farmers in this hour of extreme need. With one month to go I am confident we will reach our target,” said Christian Li, Engen's managing director in Namibia.
Dare to Care was established in the year 2000 by members of the agricultural sector to assist victims of veld fires. Since then it has broadened its assistance to include victims of floods and farm attacks.
The agricultural sector, including the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers Union (NECFU), Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), and private-sector companies, this year joined hands under the Dare to Care umbrella and set an ambitious target to collect N$10 million with the aim to support drought-stricken farmers. Thus far the Fund has collected a massive N$8.4 million.
The initiative aims to subsidise feed costs in order to help farmers to fatten livestock for the market while maintaining their core breeding herds.
An important aspect of the assistance is not to donate feed to farmers, but to make sure feeds are more affordable through subsidising.
“I remain hopeful that the joint efforts of numerous Namibian stakeholders in this time of need will achieve a substantial measure of success in assisting our farmers in this difficult time. As Engen we are humbled to play a small role,” added Li.
ELLANIE SMIT
Engen announced in early June that it would contribute to the Fund five cents for every litre of petrol purchased from an Engen service station in Namibia from 1 June to 31 August.
The money raised over the three months will be used to help subsidise fodder. The latest donation from July fuel sales follows N$850 000 that was donated for June, bringing the total given by the fuel company to N$1.85 million.
“At the outset we stated that our target is to raise N$3 million to help the country's commercial and subsistence farmers in this hour of extreme need. With one month to go I am confident we will reach our target,” said Christian Li, Engen's managing director in Namibia.
Dare to Care was established in the year 2000 by members of the agricultural sector to assist victims of veld fires. Since then it has broadened its assistance to include victims of floods and farm attacks.
The agricultural sector, including the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers Union (NECFU), Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), and private-sector companies, this year joined hands under the Dare to Care umbrella and set an ambitious target to collect N$10 million with the aim to support drought-stricken farmers. Thus far the Fund has collected a massive N$8.4 million.
The initiative aims to subsidise feed costs in order to help farmers to fatten livestock for the market while maintaining their core breeding herds.
An important aspect of the assistance is not to donate feed to farmers, but to make sure feeds are more affordable through subsidising.
“I remain hopeful that the joint efforts of numerous Namibian stakeholders in this time of need will achieve a substantial measure of success in assisting our farmers in this difficult time. As Engen we are humbled to play a small role,” added Li.
ELLANIE SMIT
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