Sell your livestock, drought-hit farmers told

TUYEIMO HAIDULA

OSHAKATI

Northern communal farmers have been urged not to hold on to their livestock, in case of another drought year.

The farmers have been advised to work hard to make a plan in case the country does not receive good rains.

This was said by the regional councillor for the Okatyali Constituency in Oshana region, Joseph Mupetami, who said the drought of the past few years led to poor harvests and large livestock losses. This resulted in massive food insecurity which drove many households to depend on government drought relief.

On top of the drought, communal farmers also suffered livestock losses due to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), which broke out in several regions last year.

Dry spell

Mupetami said they are worried because the weather does not look promising.

“We are worried that animals are walking long distances in the absence of rain and the extreme heat being experienced lately,” he said.

Mupetami said they had not received any reports of animal deaths yet.

In early December last year, the northern regions received some good rains. But this was followed by a dry spell, which led to many floodplains (oshanas) and lakes drying up.

Mupetami advised fellow farmers that they should plan ahead, in case the drought returns.

The Namibia Meteorological Service has indicated that northern areas such as Omuthiya and Eenhana, as well as the Kavango, Zambezi and Otjozondjupa regions, can expect heavy rain this week.

Mupetami furthermore told the farmers that Namibia, especially the far-northern regions, can no longer sustain large herds and they should reduce their herds by selling old animals to buy young stock and farm intensively.

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