Kunene planting in limbo
The farmers in the Kunene are concerned by delayed rainfall as well as patchy, light falls received with long intervals of dry weather.
Farmers in the Kunene Region are under severe pressure as the region has not received rainfall since the beginning of December. The region has repeatedly experienced prolonged droughts which have taken their toll on grazing and groundwater resources.
Over the weekend the chairperson of the regional council, Julius Kaujova, told Namibian Sun that the last time the region received showers was at the beginning of December, but the rainfall was scattered and capricious. There was a little rain early in January but that too, was very light. He said that thus far the situation is not yet critical for livestock farmers, adding that even though the grass has not germinated yet, trees have ample leaves to sustain animals. For crop producers, however, things are becoming critical as they have not yet started planting.
“Effects of climate change are real in our region and we have experienced these for the past three years. We always used to receive very good rainfall during the month of December, but things have changed. We are already in February and there has been no rain,” Kaujova said.
He said crop farmers are being assisted through an organisation, Conservation Agriculture Namibia, that helps farmers with improved crop production. However, the farmers only started ploughing their fields last week after the first rains fell.
“Our early land preparation starts in November, but since there was no sign of rain, farmers did not want to plough. To date it is still dry and the farmers cannot do anything,” he said.
Kaujova said that though the 2017 season was late it was better than that of 2016. He said there are still areas of good pasture for the livestock, and trees throughout the region are also looking good, although he said there are limiting factors for farmers to access areas with better pasture.
“The problem is the lions we have in the region. Places where there is better grazing there are lions and it is a great risk for farmers to take their livestock to those areas,” he said.
He also added that farmers in the region have no market to sell their livestock since the abattoirs closed in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA). He said for now farmers only trade in the informal market, which he said does not always give value for money.
Zakuruka Producers' Cooperative, a regional livestock and crop marketing association, helps farmers in the region to sell their livestock and produce through auctions, but they said the distance is problematic.
They said they only operate in Orumana where farmers are expected to take their livestock or produce, but due to the long distances they only end up reaching a very small group of farmers in the region.
ILENI NANDJATO
Over the weekend the chairperson of the regional council, Julius Kaujova, told Namibian Sun that the last time the region received showers was at the beginning of December, but the rainfall was scattered and capricious. There was a little rain early in January but that too, was very light. He said that thus far the situation is not yet critical for livestock farmers, adding that even though the grass has not germinated yet, trees have ample leaves to sustain animals. For crop producers, however, things are becoming critical as they have not yet started planting.
“Effects of climate change are real in our region and we have experienced these for the past three years. We always used to receive very good rainfall during the month of December, but things have changed. We are already in February and there has been no rain,” Kaujova said.
He said crop farmers are being assisted through an organisation, Conservation Agriculture Namibia, that helps farmers with improved crop production. However, the farmers only started ploughing their fields last week after the first rains fell.
“Our early land preparation starts in November, but since there was no sign of rain, farmers did not want to plough. To date it is still dry and the farmers cannot do anything,” he said.
Kaujova said that though the 2017 season was late it was better than that of 2016. He said there are still areas of good pasture for the livestock, and trees throughout the region are also looking good, although he said there are limiting factors for farmers to access areas with better pasture.
“The problem is the lions we have in the region. Places where there is better grazing there are lions and it is a great risk for farmers to take their livestock to those areas,” he said.
He also added that farmers in the region have no market to sell their livestock since the abattoirs closed in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA). He said for now farmers only trade in the informal market, which he said does not always give value for money.
Zakuruka Producers' Cooperative, a regional livestock and crop marketing association, helps farmers in the region to sell their livestock and produce through auctions, but they said the distance is problematic.
They said they only operate in Orumana where farmers are expected to take their livestock or produce, but due to the long distances they only end up reaching a very small group of farmers in the region.
ILENI NANDJATO
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