Otjozondjupa buckles under the drought
The picture sketched by the Otjozondjupa Region's governor, Otto Ipinge, is dismal, to say the least.
12 June 2019 | Disasters
Some 7 723 livestock were lost between 2018 and 2019 in the Otjozondjupa Region due to the prevailing drought conditions, the region's governor, Otto Ipinge, said during his state of the region address last week.
Ipinge said between October 2018 and March 2019, the large and small livestock in the Okahandja, Okakarara, Tsumkwe and Omatako constituencies died due to drought.
Further elaborating on the statistics, he said the livestock comprised of 4 736 cattle, 1 766 goats,
1 174 sheep, 18 donkeys and 29 horses.
He stated that the region this year experienced delayed, sporadic and extremely poor rainfall, accompanied by extremely high temperatures that intensified the evaporation processes of the little moisture received.
He expressed disappointment at the fact that Otavi and Grootfontein, the perennial producers of fresh and dried grain in the region, failed to produce enough due to the reduced underground water levels and poor rains.
Ipinge said the situation is now worsened by continuous deterioration of grazing in both communal and commercial areas.
The governor, however, thanked the Office of the Prime Minister for allocating Otjozondjupa with a drought relief food consignment for June, which comprised of 3 905 bags (12.5 kilogrammes) of maize meal, 15 620 tins of fish and 3 905 bottles of cooking oil.
Ipinge then warned offices tasked to distribute the food not to keep it in storerooms, but to give it out without delay in all seven constituencies within the region.
President Hage Geingob in May this year declared a state of emergency on the drought situation in the country, and consequently set aside over N$570 to mitigate its effects in the country.
NAMPA
Ipinge said between October 2018 and March 2019, the large and small livestock in the Okahandja, Okakarara, Tsumkwe and Omatako constituencies died due to drought.
Further elaborating on the statistics, he said the livestock comprised of 4 736 cattle, 1 766 goats,
1 174 sheep, 18 donkeys and 29 horses.
He stated that the region this year experienced delayed, sporadic and extremely poor rainfall, accompanied by extremely high temperatures that intensified the evaporation processes of the little moisture received.
He expressed disappointment at the fact that Otavi and Grootfontein, the perennial producers of fresh and dried grain in the region, failed to produce enough due to the reduced underground water levels and poor rains.
Ipinge said the situation is now worsened by continuous deterioration of grazing in both communal and commercial areas.
The governor, however, thanked the Office of the Prime Minister for allocating Otjozondjupa with a drought relief food consignment for June, which comprised of 3 905 bags (12.5 kilogrammes) of maize meal, 15 620 tins of fish and 3 905 bottles of cooking oil.
Ipinge then warned offices tasked to distribute the food not to keep it in storerooms, but to give it out without delay in all seven constituencies within the region.
President Hage Geingob in May this year declared a state of emergency on the drought situation in the country, and consequently set aside over N$570 to mitigate its effects in the country.
NAMPA
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