Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Four of the big small stock breeding local guns stepped onto the Agra/Bank Windhoek ring last Friday for the sixth annual Goat Production Auction, which was once again a feast of superior quality animals.
Nichlas Mbingeneeko, Vaughn Komomungondo, Stephan Botha and Nakathingo Shivute came to the party with 25 Boer Goats, 15 Kalahari Reds, 21 Van Rooy, and 15 Damara sheep of the highest quality to go under the hammer.
Unlike in the past, the auction was predominantly characterised by small stock of significantly improved quality. In addition, the auction diversified meaningfully in terms of the types of small stock breeds offered. The addition of Kalahari Reds added a different dimension to this year’s auction.
“Continuous genetic value addition and client satisfaction remain the two primary preoccupations of the Omongua Breeders Society,” said Nichlas Mbingeneeko. Omongu Breeders Society will hand over cash prizes derived from the auction to the three top-performing Grade 10 learners in the Aminuis Constituency at the end of 2017.
The annual event has been changing young people’s lives over the past five years with these cash prizes. For the first four years, the auction raised money for Regina Kondombolo, owner of the Hephata Care Centre in Wanaheda in Katutura to contribute towards her admirable work amongst mentally challenged Namibians, despite her own physical disability.
The breeders believe in ploughing back into the community and for the first four years they have been supporting the Hephata Care Centre by donating the proceeds of one animal sold at the annual auction to the centre.
“Last year we shifted our focus to education and decided on donating the proceedings to the school in the Omaheke that performs the best on Grade 10 level in 2016. Education is of vital importance for Omaheke, where we experience a very high level of unemployment, partly due to uneducated youth. Every bit helps and we are sure our contribution will be of inspiration to students to perform ultimately this year,” notes Komomungondo.