OTJIWARONGO – Land Reform minister Utoni Nujoma has called on resettled farmers in the Otjozondjupa region to start farming productively, thereby graduating to become successful commercial farmers.
Nujoma made this call while addressing resettle farmers during the official opening of the 6th annual farmers’ information sharing session at Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa region, on Friday.
The information sharing day, attended by over 100 resettled farmers according to Nampa, brings together hired industry experts to present to resettled farmers on different topics on improving animals and crop farming.
There are, according to the news agency, 150 farmers resettled in the Otjozondjupa region since the inception resettlement programme in 1991.
Nujoma, addressing the farmers, said the primary purpose of the information sharing session was aimed to motivate the resettled farmers on government farms to start farming productively and graduate to become successful commercial farmers.
“Therefore, let us use this opportunity to engage with these hired agricultural experts. Let us learn and find out the innovative farming methods that will prosper us under different circumstances,” the news agency quoted Nujoma as saying.
However, the minister expressed concern over reluctance of some resettled farmers to pay government the lease fees as agreed per the resettlement lease agreement for their farming units.
“Dear farmers, it is important to note that the lease fees are obtained from you so that they can assist the government to acquire more farms for resettlement purposes,” he said.
He further warned that the continuous failure to pay these fees may result in government cancelling the lease agreements and consequently re-allocating the government farming units to other successful applicants.
Similar farmers’ information sharing sessions are also expected to take place this year in other regions where resettlement programmes exist, said Nujoma.
The Ministry of Land Reform last year said it has spent N$1.1 billion during the last five years to acquire 155 farms measuring 836 000 hectares for the resettlement of previously disadvantaged Namibian.