NYS anticipates bumper harvest
About 24 tonnes of yellow maize and 80 tonnes of white maize are anticipated and a pile of 670 bales of hay are also stored at the centre.
The National Youth Service (NYS) is this year anticipating a bumper harvest in white maize and hay at its Rietfontein centre in the Otjozondjupa region, due to the good rainfall received.
Its board chairperson Dr Emma Leonard mentioned that harvesting of white and yellow maize is at a peak with the harvested cobs already removed from the fields.
“We are looking at a good harvest in both white and yellow maize and also hay. The harvest might be completed in August this year,” she said.
The NYS Omauni centre near Okongo in the Ohangwena region already harvested a total of 17 tonnes of mahangu.
About 24 tonnes of yellow maize and 80 tonnes of white maize are also anticipated and a pile of 670 bales of hay being sold at N$ 500 to livestock farmers are also stored at the centre, she said.
According to her, the idea is to harvest, process all grains, put some for sale, donate some to the nation and feed the trainees with the rest.
NYS executive for agriculture, Dr Gabriel Hangara stated that a de-bushing exercise on the vast hay field is underway at the centre and the trainees are also busy to renovate the dairy plant and maize milling factory which had been idle for so many years.
“We plan to start milking about 20 brown Swiss cattle middle of this month,” he said. NYS Rietfontein is 1 600-hectare farm, full of grass and underground water with over 700 livestock.
Trainees specialise in plumbing, auto mechanics, joinery, bricklaying, metal fabrication, hairdressing, hospitality, office administration, crop and animal husbandry, cloth production and heavy duty driving. NYS became operational in 2008 after it was established by government in 2005. - Nampa
Its board chairperson Dr Emma Leonard mentioned that harvesting of white and yellow maize is at a peak with the harvested cobs already removed from the fields.
“We are looking at a good harvest in both white and yellow maize and also hay. The harvest might be completed in August this year,” she said.
The NYS Omauni centre near Okongo in the Ohangwena region already harvested a total of 17 tonnes of mahangu.
About 24 tonnes of yellow maize and 80 tonnes of white maize are also anticipated and a pile of 670 bales of hay being sold at N$ 500 to livestock farmers are also stored at the centre, she said.
According to her, the idea is to harvest, process all grains, put some for sale, donate some to the nation and feed the trainees with the rest.
NYS executive for agriculture, Dr Gabriel Hangara stated that a de-bushing exercise on the vast hay field is underway at the centre and the trainees are also busy to renovate the dairy plant and maize milling factory which had been idle for so many years.
“We plan to start milking about 20 brown Swiss cattle middle of this month,” he said. NYS Rietfontein is 1 600-hectare farm, full of grass and underground water with over 700 livestock.
Trainees specialise in plumbing, auto mechanics, joinery, bricklaying, metal fabrication, hairdressing, hospitality, office administration, crop and animal husbandry, cloth production and heavy duty driving. NYS became operational in 2008 after it was established by government in 2005. - Nampa
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