Deon Schlechter
WINDHOEK – Donations to the Dare to Care Fund under the umbrella of the Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU) currently stand at N$4.1 million and yesterday the distribution of 76 000 bags of subsidised animal feed to drought-stricken farmers started.
Yesterday, NAU said it has realised that much more help is needed and that not all farmers can be helped sufficiently. As a result, NAU is appealing to those who have not yet donated to help them to reach the target of N$10 million.
A fixed subsidy of N$50 per bag will be applicable to the following products:
Epol Herbivore, Epol Antelope Cubes, Enerfeed, Enermol, Rangeland grower, Game pellets, Lucerne pellets, Breker 12 pellets, Molatek Molasses meal, Molatek Meester 20, Sheep Finisher Pellets, Cattle Finisher Pellets, Taapu Afrondmix, Sheep Finisher, Lucerne pellets, Wagnou Volvoer. The subsidised animal feed will be available for producers at the following retailers: Agra, Animal Fedco, Leonardville Garage, Otjozondjupa Feed, Helmering Winkel, Kaap Agri, H J Moller Transport & Voere, Toitjies Boerediens, D A Viljoen Transport.
Subsidised animal feed will only be sold in lots of 10 bags and no returns are allowed. A producer qualifies for a maximum of 100 bags subsidised feed.
Producers who want to make use of the subsidy must present the following documents:
• A copy of the FANMeat card of the producer who wants to make use of the subsidy
• A copy of the ID card of the person who wants to make use of the subsidy
The entire agricultural sector, including NAU, the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers Union (NECFU) and the private sector have joined hands under the umbrella of the Dare to Care Fund which is administered by NAU.
The fund aims to subsidise drought-stricken farmers – communal, emerging commercial and commercial. It has been decided that the implementation of subsidies will start early in April while contributions are still canvassed from all sectors in the economy.
The fund will not give donations but will subsidise certain animal feed. The subsidies will be available for all farmers, including communal, emerging commercial and commercial in the entire country where approved retail feed suppliers are available.
Four production lines will be subsidised which include whole yellow maize, sheep fattening pellets, cattle fattening feed and lucerne pellets. Any feed supply company which is interested to be part of this action will have to make a contribution to the fund before their products qualify for subsidy. Any retail feed supplier, which has registered in the past six months at participating feed companies, will qualify to provide subsidised animal feed lines if such retailers contribute financially to the Dare to Care Fund.
The subsidy will only apply to sheep fattening pellets, cattle fattening feed, lucerne and game pellets (game, cattle, sheep).