WINDHOEK -The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF) will from this August produce pearl millet (mahangu) seeds through irrigation.
This is to improve the production of mahangu during the off season. The government has announced that announced throught its drought relief programme that fodder, hay, licks and health package subsidies for breeding stock will be provided. The programme is aimed at encouraging farmers in the communal areas to keep a core herd of livestock for breeding purposes to a maximum 50 heads of large stock or 300 heads of small stock.
Free seeds will be provided to communal farmers from August this year for the next agricultural crop season while resettled, affirmative and commercial farmers will receive subsidised seeds and fertilisers. Input subsidy to commercial rain fed crop farmers will also be provided during the 2015/2016 crop season after the drought destroyed virtually all white maize crops in the Maize Triangle and Summerown/Hochfeld areas this year.