Hundreds get commercial farm funding

Over 94% of commercial farmers who applied for credit and loans during the 2013/14 financial year were assisted, while only 5.5% were denied finance to develop their farms and further contribute to the agricultural value chain.

This is according to the 2013/14 Commercial Sector Census for Agriculture, which was released recently by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA).

While the census targeted 6 690 commercial farms, the results are based on the 3 337 that responded to the questionnaire.

According to the report 23.9% (792) of farmers applied for loans and over 94% received them.

At regional level, the majority of those who applied for loans were in the Hardap Region with 23.2%, followed by //Karas with 19.7% of farmers, while the lowest number applicants were in Oshikoto (1.6%).

Farm owners were asked the reason why loans or credit were not granted and 22.7% indicated that the main reason was due to lack of collateral, while 4.5% said it was due to ignorance and 2.3% said it was because of “bad financial credibility”. More than 50% of farm owners indicated other reasons, which include documentation problems.

The report indicated that a total of 9.3 million hectares of land was operational during the 2013/14 financial year.

The majority of this land, about 7.8 million hectares, was used for grazing, accounting for 83.5% of the total farm land, while only

10 958 hectares (0.12%) was used for permanent crops.

On the other hand, 493 hectares (0.01 %) of farm land was temporary fallow.

Only 6 302 hectares of land was drained and 5 068 hectares was irrigated during that time.

The report indicates that well over 90% of farms reported they had not planted any crops and grown any horticulture products or fruits during the period.

Among the farms that reported they planted crops, 30.4% are based in Otjozondjupa and 26% in Oshikoto. On the other hand, only 2.4% of farms based in Khomas indicated they planted crops.

On the type of crops planted, 59.9% of farms reported they planted white maize, while less than 10% planted wheat, rice, sunflower, olives, sorghum, groundnuts and mahangu.

A total of 4 378 hectares of irrigated land was used to plant white maize, yielding a harvest of 103 886kg. Out of this, 99 665kg of white maize was sold.

The report also shows that 436 hectares of irrigated land was used to plant yellow maize, yielding a harvest of 31 732kg.

Out of this, 5 219kg was sold. Furthermore, 1 732 hectares of irrigated land was used to plant fodder, yielding a harvest of 16 532kg, of which 6 710kg was sold.

The report indicates that 63.9% of farms grew onions during the previous 12 months. In addition, more than 50% of the farms grew tomatoes and pumpkins, while more than 40% reported growing watermelons, cabbage and carrots.

A total of 99 hectares of irrigated land was used to plant onions, yielding a harvest of 807 048kg, of which 1 015 413kg was sold.

A total of 1 131 hectares of irrigated land was used to plant tomatoes, yielding a harvest of 313 936kg, with 330 306kg being sold.

Furthermore, 71 hectares of irrigated land was used to plant watermelons, yielding a harvest of 346 917kg of which 245 917kg was sold.

Meanwhile, 40% of the farmers reported their crops, horticulture products and fruit were damaged by pests and diseases and 30% of farmers reported that no control measures were used to protect crops from pests and diseases, while 21.8% indicated that no extension agent help was available to protect crops from pests and diseases.

Furthermore, about 14% of farmers reported that no control measures were used to protect their horticulture products from pests and diseases, while 7.5% of farms indicated unavailability of an extension agent to help with protecting horticulture products from pests and diseases.

Slightly more than 13% of farms reported that no control measures were used to protect fruit from pests and diseases, while 3.9% of farms indicated no extension agent help was available to protect fruit from pests and diseases.



ELLANIE SMIT