By Wezi Tjaronda
SESFONTEIN
Communities around Sesfontein have stopped growing tobacco and paprika on a large scale after they lost their external markets a few years ago.
The community grew tonnes of oriental tobacco between 2002 and 2004 of which between seven and 11 were exported through Zimbabwe. However, due to the closure of that market, the Sesfontein Agricultural Extension Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry is still holds 83 out of hundreds of bales that failed to get a market and have not been claimed by owners in the hope that the office will still get a market.
Most of them, though, were taken back by the farmers and sold locally or bartered for goats.
Agricultural Extension Officer for Sesfontein, Issy Mumbango, told New Era on Monday that his office tried to get another market in South America but that the tobacco that was available was very dry, thus could not be bought.
Mumbango said, “They requested some samples and we sent a whole bale but then the response was that the company could not buy because the tobacco was too dry.”
The same happened to paprika around the same year. Mumbango said they only exported three tonnes once to South Africa.
“We were also informed that the market closed and we could not send any more,” said Mumbango.
He said tobacco growing started after he attended a workshop in Zimbabwe, after which there was an agreement to export the produce grown in Namibia through that country. Sesfontein is suited for oriental tobacco because of its heat.
The communities grew these products in their individual plots allocated to them in Government gardens. The area has four gardens in Sesfontein, Warmquelle, Otjindakui and Gowareb.
Tobacco still by far outnumbers other crops not only in the community gardens but also in backyard gardens.
Jacob Hoeb said he consumed some of the tobacco and sold the rest.
Nicolas Hendriks said tobacco still has a market among the Ovahimba, where a kilogramme of good quality tobacco fetches a goat.
He now makes rolls of tobacco, which he sells to buyers from the north for N$400 each roll or for a big goat.
He said the tobacco inconvenienced the office because the warehouse should be used for farmers training sessions, which are now held under trees.
Mumbango said the ministry introduced community gardens in the late 1990s to encourage farmers to plant crops for consumption and sale.
The Sesfontein garden measures 11 hectares, while the other three are nine hectares each. Most of the plots have not been planted yet because communities are waiting for the tractor to plough.
Apart from tobacco, the communities also grow maize, watermelons, wheat, pumpkins, tomatoes and onions.