WINDHOEK – A group of 33 farmers from Oshana and Oshikoto regions were trained in conservation agriculture (CA) methods at Okashana Rural development Centre on June 9 and 10. The training equipped the farmers with knowledge and skills in order to practice as Lead farmers in the USAID funded Namibia Conservation Agriculture project (NCAP) implemented by CLUSA and local partners Creative Entrepreneurs Solutions and Namibia National Farmers Union. Altogether 432 Lead farmers in seven northern regions will be trained to practice CA methods on their farms that will serve as training grounds for interested neighbours.
“The training was very interesting. I learned how to utilize and manage my land for crop production. Conservation agriculture will make a very big improvement for me as a farmer. I have seen the difference between conventional farming and conservation agriculture in another Lead farmers’ field. Now I am looking forward to take up the practice myself this coming crop season.” said Maurus Immanuel from the Oshana Region.
NCAP is a three year project that started in 2012. The main project objective is to assist with scaling-up CA methods such as ripping furrowing and the basin method by training Lead farmers who in turn train close to 10,000 farmers in northern Namibia in order to mitigate the negative impacts of droughts and floods on food security. The CA practices applied are based on the positive outcomes from the prior CONTILL project and are farmer demand driven.
By applying ripping and furrowing, a soil preparation method specifically developed for northern Namibian soil conditions, the hard plough pan beneath the top soil is cracked open allowing for deep root penetration of dry land crops such as mahangu, maize, sorghum, omakunde and ground nuts. The furrows create an in-field water harvesting effect. Ripping furrowing can be done either by a tractor mounted implement or by fitting an animal draught plough-frame with a ripper tine and furrow wings. Cracking the hard plough pan open allows for deep root development thus giving rise to stronger plants and higher yields. In addition, crop rotations with legumes and soil cover are vital elements of CA.
“I learned a lot from the training, not only about conservation agriculture but also about loan opportunities for farmers from Kongalend and Agribank. The Ministry of Agriculture from Okashana Research Station gave a very useful presentation on seed and seed multiplication and certification. I have realised that as a farmer I must carefully consider choice of inputs and type of land preparation. I am now going to apply ripping furrowing at my farm at Okatope and am looking forward to training my neighbours.” commented Maria Nahole from Oshikoto region.
CA is increasingly practised worldwide and promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) as a means of achieving sustainable, profitable and environmentally friendly agriculture. For more information on CA, manuals and case studies please see: http://www.fao.org/ag/ca/