Resettled farmers contribute to food security
Resettled farmers can contribute to food security at national, regional and international level.
According to deputy lands minister Priscilla Boois, rising food costs have dire consequences for vulnerable communities.
She said the efforts of resettled farmers could, therefore, have a positive impact on poverty eradication.
Boois was speaking at the Khomas Resettlement Farmers' Day, which has been held every year since 2014.
The purpose of the day is to bring together all the resettled farmers in the Khomas Region to meet and network with agricultural experts and share information and farming tips.
According to Boois, during the current financial year the ministry's budgetary allocation was considerably cut to accommodate other equally important national activities.
“But we have been managing to do more with less,” she added.
She said because of this collaboration with other agricultural institutions was necessary.
This collaboration extended to regional farm inspections and evaluation of farming units.
Based on these evaluations, the government could intervene in cases where farmers were not fully utilising the land and production was below the expected output, she said.
Agriculture minister John Mutorwa said resettled farmers must acknowledge that farming is challenged by climate change. He urged farmers to start adopting smart agricultural practices, including diversification of farm enterprises.
He said Namibian rangeland is degraded and with the worsening effects of climate change farm productivity is adversely affected. He said the government was reviewing its National Drought Policy, which is aimed at mitigating the impact of this catastrophic situation through focused drought risk management strategies.
Mutorwa added that following a cabinet decision in 2012, the agriculture ministry was in the final stages of developing pre- and post-settlement support initiatives.
In this context the ministry, together with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, has finalised a capacity-building strategy for resettled farmers.
The main objective of the strategy is to empower farmers to utilise their farming units productively in order to contribute to national food security.
ELLANIE SMIT
According to deputy lands minister Priscilla Boois, rising food costs have dire consequences for vulnerable communities.
She said the efforts of resettled farmers could, therefore, have a positive impact on poverty eradication.
Boois was speaking at the Khomas Resettlement Farmers' Day, which has been held every year since 2014.
The purpose of the day is to bring together all the resettled farmers in the Khomas Region to meet and network with agricultural experts and share information and farming tips.
According to Boois, during the current financial year the ministry's budgetary allocation was considerably cut to accommodate other equally important national activities.
“But we have been managing to do more with less,” she added.
She said because of this collaboration with other agricultural institutions was necessary.
This collaboration extended to regional farm inspections and evaluation of farming units.
Based on these evaluations, the government could intervene in cases where farmers were not fully utilising the land and production was below the expected output, she said.
Agriculture minister John Mutorwa said resettled farmers must acknowledge that farming is challenged by climate change. He urged farmers to start adopting smart agricultural practices, including diversification of farm enterprises.
He said Namibian rangeland is degraded and with the worsening effects of climate change farm productivity is adversely affected. He said the government was reviewing its National Drought Policy, which is aimed at mitigating the impact of this catastrophic situation through focused drought risk management strategies.
Mutorwa added that following a cabinet decision in 2012, the agriculture ministry was in the final stages of developing pre- and post-settlement support initiatives.
In this context the ministry, together with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, has finalised a capacity-building strategy for resettled farmers.
The main objective of the strategy is to empower farmers to utilise their farming units productively in order to contribute to national food security.
ELLANIE SMIT
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