OPUWO – Communal farmers in Kunene Region have described this year’s drought as critical as many areas received below average rainfall from the onset of the 2014 to 2015 rainy season.
Farmers held a meeting in Opuwo on Wednesday with senior agricultural technicians tasked with conducting the drought assessment report for 2015 to gauge the magnitude of the drought.
The assessment mainly looked at the impact of the drought on crop and livestock production and the livelihood of communal farmers.
The consultation took place with different stakeholders, traditional authorities and farmers.
The assessment report revealed 90 percent of crop farmers depend on buying maize meal from local retailers but prices are reportedly high.
A worried senior traditional leader, 80-year-old Maongo Hembinda of the Kapika Traditional Authority, stressed he had never in his lifetime experienced a drought like the current one.
He pointed out that even though farmers want to market some of their livestock to mitigate the drought, the prices are very low and buyers have become more selective.
“With the lack of formal auctions in the region only speculators are buying livestock. For example, a goat that normally fetched between N$1 500 and N$1 800 now only fetches N$800, while oxen and heifers that cost N$6 500 now cost between N$3 500 and N$4 000. Most farmers are left with no choice but just to ‘give away’ their animals cheaply,” lamented an elderly villager.
Senior agricultural technicians concurred with him saying the current drought has forced many farmers to sell their livestock at very low prices.
“I appealed to government to reintroduce the marketing incentive to encourage the farmers to sell non- productive animals to reduce presuure on grazing,” said the traditional leader.
The leader recommended that provision of livestock supplementary feeds through subsidy be considered.
“The government must negotiate with neighbouring Angola to allow farmers to migrate there for better grazing.The government must also immediately distribute food aid to those affected,” stressed the traditional leader.
He urged the Meat Board and Agra to provide a subsidy.
The report informed farmers that poor rainfall received for the past three rainy seasons continue to negatively impact on pasture in Kunene, resulting in diminishing perennial grasses in most villages.
“The veld condition in most areas is rated at 2 while in others like De Wet, Okangwati, Etanga and Okavere it is at 1. At the mountains and hills that are usually green at this time of the year there are few annual grasses, while in Etanga and Okangwati wards, the soil is bare,” reads the report.
The assessment further revealed that most areas have insufficient water and earth dams have dried up.
“The water flow of natural water fountains has decreased. The situation has compelled livestock and wild animals to share water at boreholes. As most farmers migrated to cattle posts where grazing is believed to be better, boreholes at cattle posts are often broken,” revealed the assessment.
Cattle posts such as Otjihandja and Otjihinamaso in Otjisoko as well as Otjindingwe in Okangwati that used to be reserve areas during previous drought years are now overgrazed due to the increased number of livestock.