Metarere Ngeenguno had always wanted to farm for himself. The lure of deciding on his own breed, production type and how to market his products effectively was overwhelming for the ardent farmer. Having been raised in the livestock rich Omaheke region, Ngeenguno’s dream grew by the day as he watched other farmers going about the trade in his home constituency of Aminuis.
In such hard times, especially when the farming community stares another devastating drought in the eye, we should develop a thick skin if we are to sail through such looming drought and other farming hardships.
Despite growing around cattle, Mitchell Simataa was never inspired to take up farming at a tender age. In fact, the sight of cattle scared him - their huge horns and bulky appearance was anything but inviting for Simataa.
The aggregated national cereal production (maize, millet, sorghum and wheat) is estimated at 175 900 metric tonnes (MT), which is a slight increase of 5% above last season’s harvest of 168 200 MT, and 39% higher than the average production of 126 700MT.
Before fruits, vegetables and other produce reach grocery store shelves, several sets of hands have touched the food that ends up on our kitchen tables. Essential to food production but invisible to consumers, farmworkers are primary contributors to the safe, efficient and reliable delivery of our fruits and vegetables.
In June 2020, four farmers came together to devise strategies on how they could cushion the challenges facing start-up communal farmers and allow agribusinesses in communal areas to thrive.
The Ongombe Farmers’ Association – one of the oldest bodies representing the interests of farmers at the communal level – keeps going strong amid changing economic times and harsh climatic conditions that continue to impact farming.
If farming with vegetables for profit is your dream, read on as I dissect this mode of crop farming and how one could make good returns from it.
It all started as an experimental crop farming project. The location – the village of Epata in the Otjinene constituency – seemed ideal for a crop farming venture.
As we continue reflecting on this important consideration, it is equally vital that we pause for a minute and revisit why we want to be farmers in the first place.