Musese farmer loses N$12m in elephants crop damage

Tulio Parreira, who has been running the Musese Green Scheme for the past 24 years, says he has incurred financial losses of about N$12 million due to elephants destroying crops.

Parreira says the 2017 fall armyworm infestation also caused a loss of N$40 million worth of maize at the Musese irrigation farm. These cumulative disasters are driving him ever closer to bankruptcy.

Parreira was speaking to Namibian Sun shortly after a stakeholders' meeting at the farm on Monday.

The meeting was called after a herd of 65 elephants invaded the farm last Monday and destroyed about 35 tonnes of wheat.

It was attended by Kavango Wast regional governor Sirkka Ausiku, Kavango West Swapo coordinator David Hipulwa Hamutenya, Musese constituency councillor Sakeus Kudumo, and regional staff of the agriculture and environment ministries. Parreira, a well-known Rundu businessman, told them that he had sold several of his properties at the town in order to expand the Musese Green Scheme from 150 to 600 hectares.

Besides taking out a N$70 million Agribank loan, Parreira's wife also sold property worth N$12 million to invest in the irrigation farm.





Parreira, who is leasing the farm from the government, said their investment in the farm is in the region of N$120 million.





On the issue of elephants which regularly cause damage, Parreira said the interests of investors should be protected by the state.

“Why would one invest if the environment is not conducive?” an irate Parreira said.

“I have invested over N$120 million in this farm. I had to sell my property and my wife had to sell several of her businesses, including the lodge in Rundu, and that was about N$24 million, and we pumped it all in to run this farm effectively, but now the farm is suffering because of the elephants which are always destroying our crops.”

Parreira also took a swing at the government's wildlife compensation policy, which he described as flawed.

Referring to last year's crop damage caused by elephants, Parreira said he was offered N$800 per hectare of the maize destroyed, which was much less than the value of the crops.

Parreira indicated that one hectare of maize is worth N$50 000.

“Now ask yourself whether it makes sense to compensate you N$800 for crops valued at N$50 000. It does not make sense at all, it needs to change,” he emphasised.

Parreira said if the situation did not improve after Monday's meeting, he would try to seek a meeting with President Hage Geingob.

Parreira, who shot two elephants at the farm in 2016, said if need be he would pull the trigger once more as the elephants are destroying the farm.



The meeting

The media were barred from the meeting but Namibian Sun learned that it focused on a report from some years ago, which made recommendations on how human-wildlife conflict should be addressed.

Attempts to get a copy of the report proved futile as the officials of the two ministries refused to share it with the media.

However, Namibian Sun understands that the recommendations include the digging of trenches around the Musese irrigation farm, as well as other ways of protecting communal farms against wildlife.

The report was endorsed by former vice-president Nickey Iyambo and a committee was established consisting of officials from the two ministries, but it seems they failed to implement the recommendations.

When approached for comment after the meeting, Ausiku expressed disappointment with the officials who had failed to implement the recommendations.

“I am very disappointed that the committee which was entrusted to implement the recommendations failed to do what was expected of them,” Ausiku said.

Ausiku said the problem seemed to be poor coordination between the two ministries.

He added that the environment and tourism ministry at least had established the Maurus Nekaro Conservancy, but there was no action from the agriculture ministry.

Ausiku said consultations would continue so that the issue could be resolved.

KENYA KAMBOWE