By Deon Schlechter
WINDHOEK – Although the northern regions noted improvement in agricultural production last season, such improvement was not significant, warns the latest Namibian Early Warning and Food Security Report.
According to most households interviewed , last season’s harvest is weakening and is currently being supplemented with market purchases to make it last longer. Households noted that with market purchase to supplement their little harvest it is likely to last up to December 2014 or January 2015. However, some households reported that they have already finished the last season’s harvest and are sorely dependent on market for food access. Contrary to the general picture in the northern regions, the household food security situation in the Zambezi region is said to be satisfactory as most households are either dependent on own harvest or market using fund from the sales of last season’s production for food access. Although Zambezi noted below average harvest, the harvest was near normal (15%) and many farmers were satisfied with the harvest, saying that it will bring the much needed relief on their livelihoods. However, much of the harvest (mainly maize) was sold to commercial millers as well as Agricultural Marketing and Trading Agency (AMTA), living very few at the farm for household consumptions. Although it is a common practice of the farmers to sell almost all maize grains to the millers and buy it back in the forms of meals, it was reported that farmers does so in fear of damages by pests due to a lack of proper storage at their farms.
In the Kavango East and Kavango West regions, household food security situation was noted to be satisfactory as majority of households interviewed indicated that they are dependent on own production supplemented with market purchases for food access. According to household owners, the last season’s harvest is expected to last till end of December, thereafter, most households are likely to be completely dependent on the market for food access. The food security situation in the north central regions (Oshikoto, Oshana, Ohangwena and Omusati) was noted to be more or less the same as Kavango East and West regions. In the Omusati region, household food security is satisfactory as most households are reported to be still dependent on own production supplemented with market purchases to prolong the availability of stock. However, according to households, their own production is expected to last till the end of January, thereafter most households will be dependent on the market for food access.
On the other hand, the food security situation in the Ohangwena region was reported to be satisfactory only in the east where the majority of households are still dependent on own production for food access, but weakening in the west part of the region where most households are reported to have depleted their last season’s harvest and are now dependent on the market for food access. For the Oshana region, household food security is also reported to have weakened slightly as most households indicated that their last season‘s harvest was diminishing and was being supplemented with market purchases to prolong its availability. In the Oshikoto region, the situation was reported to be satisfactory as most households interviewed were still dependent on own production. However, few households indicated that, their last season’s harvest was diminishing and was being supplemented with market purchases to make it last longer.
Pasture Condition
Grazing conditions in various parts of the regions was said to have deteriorated during the course of the dry season and was reported to range between fair to poor. Nevertheless, the situation was much better than the drought condition last year. According to farmers, this season was better than last season which saw many farmers losing many of their livestock. In general, there were few cases of livestock deaths related to poor grazing condition. Last year, many farmers lost lots of their livestock due to poor grazing condition. Although the regions noted a delay in the onset of the 2014/2015 rainfall in which productive rainfall was received as from mid November instead of October, it was then reported that most parts of the country have since received good showers. As such grazing is expected to recover as more good rainfall is reportedly falling in various areas countrywide.
In the Kavango East and Kavango West regions, household food security situation was noted to be satisfactory as majority of household interviewed indicated that they are dependent on own production supplemented with market purchases for food access. According to household owners, the last season’s harvest is expected to last till end of December, thereafter, most households are likely to be completely dependent on the market for food access.
Food security situation in the north central regions (Oshikoto, Oshana, Ohangwena and Omusati) was noted to be more or less the same as Kavango East and West regions. In the Omusati region, household food security was satisfactory as most households were reported to be still dependent on own production supplemented with market purchases to prolong the availability of stock. However, according to households, their own production was expected last till end of January, thereafter most households will be dependent on the market for food access.
On the other hand the food security situation in the Ohangwena region was reported to be satisfactory only in the east where the majority of households were still dependent on own production for food access, but weakening in the west part of the region where most households were reported to have depleted their last season’s harvest and were now dependent on the market for food access. For Oshana region, household food security was also reported to have weakened slightly as most households indicated that their last season‘s harvest was diminishing and was being supplemented with market purchases to prolong its availability.
In the Oshikoto region, the situation was reported to be satisfactory as most households interviewed were still dependent on own production. However, few households indicated that their last season’s harvest was diminishing and was being supplemented with market purchases to make it last longer.
Weeding services subsidy
This is another subsidy given to farmers during the weeding activities. An amount of N$200 subsidy per hectare weeded is given to each farmer and also limited to three hectare like other subsidies mentioned earlier. Due to limited fund available for the ploughing and weeding services, only few farmers that are going to benefit from these subsidies and the regions may reduce three hectares given to farmers based on the demand in that area.Meanwhile the government has purchased about 95 tractors with cultivation equipments and were yet to arrive in the country this year. Once all tractors had been received, they would be distributed to various communal crop producing regions to add to the existing fleet which will subsequently reduce the high demand from the farmers.
Farmers are also required to register for the government tractors and pay an amount of N$300 per hectare for a combination of planting and fertilizing or ripping and planting. Moreover, if a farmer would only want planting service alone, then she/he has to pay an amount of N$150 per hectare.