RUNDU – The Kavango East Region’s farming initiative ‘Operation Werengendje’, aimed at assisting and inspiring Kavango East residents to produce more food, recorded a poor harvest.
This is due to low rainfall experienced in the region and the country as a whole.
“While we bemoan the effects of climate change that weighed down our regional initiative of food production and improved livelihood we term Operation Werengendje, I wish to report that even in this challenging times, steady progress has been made in the provision of ploughing service subsidies which benefited about 450 subsistence farmers during the year 2018/19 under review,” said Kavango East governor Dr Samuel Mbambo during his 2019 State of the Region Address.
“Regrettably, the region recorded below average harvest due to unfavourable climatic conditions,” he added.
With reference to Operation Werengendje, he was proud to inform the region that this cemented the Harambee Prosperity Plan Pillar 3 of Social Progression into a practical enterprise with tangible outcomes. “Hence our Slogan ‘Harambee – Werengendje,” he said.
In order to strengthen the concept of “Operation Werengendje the Office of the Regional Governor in recent years initiated familiarization visits both within Namibia and neighbouring countries. “ The visits to other regions within Namibia introduced the concept of Operation Werengendje and garner resources to implement the programme with a wider coverage. The visit to the Republic of South Africa – Eastern Cape Province last year provided us the opportunity to learn best practices on skills enhancement and collaboration in the area of agricultural production and agro processing,” he noted.