Tallismanus -Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Alpheus !Naruseb last week Thursday inaugurated state-of-the-art livestock auction pens for the farming community of Tallismanus in the Otjombinde constituency, Omaheke region.
The livestock auction pens were constructed at the cost of N$9.2 million by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the government.
It was constructed through the Sustainable Management of Namibia’s Forested Lands (NAFOLA) project, which was funded by the Global Environment Facility in partnership with UNDP.
Speaking during the launch, !Naruseb said the best way to reduce livestock is by making livestock marketing facilities available and accessible to all farmers.
“To avoid massive deaths of livestock, livestock marketing techniques should be compatible with rangeland management. Therefore this auction kraal is, an attempt to help communities in this region to manage their livestock sustainably,” he said.
He also advised the region's livestock farmers to use their animals as a means of sustaining themselves and their families.
He said farmers should turn some of their livestock into monetary income by selling them, instead of keeping livestock that they cannot manage and are prone to die from drought.
!Naruseb further stated that overgrazing in communal areas remains a challenge, and contrary to the beliefs by many farmers who attribute it to poor rainfall,
He said overgrazing is greatly influenced by the overstocking of livestock hence the need to reduce the number of livestock and have facilities such as the auction kraals from time-to-time.
On her part, UNDP country representative Alka Bhatia said the construction of the livestock marketing facility is an example of how UNDP, government and local stakeholders can work together to deliver on the promise to improve the lives of citizens.
“As the UNDP, we are convinced that this facility will be used for its intended purpose, such that it will contribute to increased livestock takeoff, further contributing to the reduction of livestock pressure on the forestry resources in this constituency,” said Bhatia.
Issy Kamutuezu, a farmer from Otjombinde welcomed the facility, saying he is grateful for the construction of such a facility as it is an improvement on what the community previously used to trade their livestock.
Charles Hambira, another farmer from the constituency, echoed his sentiments, noting that the facility will provide much needed safety for their livestock during auctions.
“The kraal is very well constructed. Although the prices at which we are selling our cattle are not as high as they used to be because the animals are still recovering from drought, I am happy that we have a place of this standard to market our livestock,” he said.
Additional reporting- Nampa