Drought pains farmers

Namibia could become the fourth Southern African Development Community (SADC) country to declare drought a national disaster so far this year, if government bows to the demands of drought-ravaged farmers.Many Namibian farmers are bracing for what could be another gruelling year of dry conditions, with calls for government to declare the drought of 2024 a state of emergency, followed by financial incentives to prevent major losses.The call comes after Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi all declared the El Nino-induced drought a national disaster, a situation which many fear could trigger a humanitarian crisis in southern Africa.Three of the country’s biggest agriculture unions painted a bleak picture of Namibia’s agricultural sector when they met government last week to share their concerns.The dry conditions have left farmers scrambling to feed their animals, with many forced to sell their livestock at a loss to reduce their herd size instead of spending money on buying feed.On the other hand, crop farmers have lost hope as far as a good yield is concerned, with many expecting a minimal harvest.Payment holidaysThe unions want Agribank to implement payment holidays for farmers with loans, which should also apply to all of the bank’s products. Alternatively, interest subsidies should be put in place, they said.The unions’ representatives paid a visit to agriculture minister Calle Schlettewein last Thursday to discuss proposals on the issue."Although farmers have received rainfall in certain parts of the country, increasing drought conditions require a review of previous drought policies and strategies,” the Namibia Agricultural Union, Namibia National Farmers Union and Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers Association said.The unions are calling for support that will enable crop producers to plant crops again in the 2024/25 season with subsidised seed, fertiliser and fuel.A little too lateWell-known agricultural expert Wallie Roux agreed that the drought should be declared a state of emergency."The recent rains are welcomed, but they still fall in patches, and furthermore, the current rains came a little too late. But it should give the fields an early boost from September," he told Namibia Media Holdings.Schlettwein welcomed the unions’ proposals and set up a working committee that will finalise a Cabinet presentation on the matter.The discussions included, among other things, that drought relief measures should be implemented as early as possible within a year of the disaster, include all regions and be available throughout the year.The unions also requested that the livestock marketing incentive be implemented effectively from 1 January and not during the remaining part of the year."Normal breeding herds must be protected by the provision of feed and the value of lean cattle and sheep must be improved to supply all export abattoirs with slaughter-ready animals for high-value markets."The unions also demanded prompt payment to livestock producers who slaughter at export abattoirs."Additional funds from the emergency drought fund are needed to create opportunities that contribute to value addition within the beef sector, as well as additional slaughter capacity through export abattoirs of 30 000 to 40 000 cattle,” the organisations said.Staple food securityAll livestock relevant sectors including dairy, Swakara and other production sectors should be included in the drought assistance scheme to help protect these industries, they said.Regarding the possible cessation of irrigation schemes due to low dam levels, there is particular concern about the Hardap and the Etaka dams, which will negatively affect socioeconomic conditions in the Hardap and Oshana regions.The unions are calling for a special programme to ensure staple food security, which must apply to all seed farmers affected by drought, they said.This includes a special food and cash assistance scheme for Etaka farmers and Hardap irrigation employees if there is not sufficient inflow during the current rainy season.

Drought pains farmers

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-27

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Drought pains farmers

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-27

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