By John Muyamba
RUNDU – The Community Based Rangeland and Livestock Management Project (CBRLM), facilitated by the German private company, GOPA, has recognised 13 project field facilitators.
The facilitators from four different regions, namely Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Kavango east as well as Kavango west received certificates. The CBRLM is a project under the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry and started in 2010 in selected pilot areas in the northern communal areas. Over the past four years over 50 communities have started to embrace combined herding to a grazing plan to improve their rangeland. They have also undertaken improvements in livestock husbandry practices, and several initiatives to improve livestock marketing conditions for farmers. This is said to be community based, community driven and focused to improve rangeland in sustainably increasing grazing areas to have good livestock production.The project operated in five regions Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Kavango east as well as Kavango west, making up 58 grazing areas.
The community based rangeland land and livestock management brought together farmers with a major principle of planned grazing and combined herding in a certain paten, to allow grazing areas to recover as they go around the 120 day cycle. This is to allow the grass to recover. This is not only important for vegetation recovery but also to protect livestock from theft and predators. “The programme has focused on rangeland management, community development, livestock management, marketing as well as training and outreaches,” says CBRLM community expert, Oliver Manungo, adding that each of the regions has four managers and four facilitators with Kavango East and West sharing one manager and facilitator. They go around the community to organise farmers to form grazing area committees and grazing area groups as well as cooperatives.
Farmers received donations from MCA??????-Namibia, ranging from tools that they can use and 70 oxen were given to the Ministry of Agriculture, 58 given to each grazing area for a total of 128 oxen which amounted to N$ 3 million. This was given out to support farmers to upgrade their breeds as well as improve breeding quality.
The facilitators were trained to provide the community with the necessary training to capacitate farmers in book keeping, budgeting, leadership, and also assist them in business management so that the organised grazing area groups are able to also run enterprises like a business.
The project aiming at increasing production and profit per hectare over time started in 2010, and will be finishing end June. Thus the project management found it more rewarding to certify the facilitators who have been undergoing intense training for the past four years, and are expected to use the skills even after the project has ended. The project is funded by Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) through MCA-Namibia, and is facilitated by GOPA, a German consulting company which is a consortium partnering with Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU) and Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation (IRDNC). The certification took place in Rundu on May 16.