By: Nghiinomenwa Erastus
Crop farmers need to diversify their crop production depending on the season to increase resilience of their farming system, advised plant breeder and agricultural scientist, Lydia Horn.
Horn was speaking at the conclusion of the two-day training of 45 smallholder farmers from the Sesfontein Constituency and Khorixas District, a week ago.
The training is through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) financed project, through the country Environmental Fund.
The 45 smallholder farmers were trained and released in their communities to go and train other upcoming Agri-preneurs.
Horn, who led the facilitation of the training, highlighted that there is a need to diversify crop production in the country depending on seasons.
She explained that in order to increase the resilience of the country’s farming systems to the various disasters or human-induced hazards, farmers need to get an opportunity to get seeds of various crops.
Horn pinpointed out the Kunene Region, which is experiencing challenging climatic conditions that the crop farmers in that region will require various seeds that can perform under the region conditions.
The training was implemented under a partnership of the EIF and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land.
The project is titled: Improving Rangeland and Ecosystem Management (IREMA) practices of smallholder farmers under conditions of climate change in Sesfontein, Fransfontein, and Warmquelle Areas in Kunene Region.
Its broad aim is to reduce the vulnerability of smallholder farmers under climate change conditions by safeguarding natural capital that generates ecosystem services to sustain agricultural production systems.
As a result, the training was aimed at providing skills that empower farmers with knowledge on horticulture production and to improve their cropping practices.
The 45 smallholders farmers were capacitated in various Agri-preneurs topics such as ways of growing vegetables, reasons for owning your garden, ideal conditions for creating a vegetable garden, soil management, insect/pest management.
Additionally, other topics included weed management, water management, how to harvest produce, post-harvest and storage techniques, grading and packaging, and marketing of produce.
According to the statement prepared by the EIF The 45 selected farmers that were capacitated through the training have in the past received agro-forestry seedlings and will this year receive Drip Irrigation materials to assist them with their horticulture production.
The EIF highlighted that the training also shared mechanisms and techniques that enhance crop varieties that produce higher yields during a shorter growing period.
The participants were also implored on using cowpea that is associated with adding nitrogen to the soil hence reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizers and therefore boosting soil fertility and providing a more sustainable crop yield.
The Chief agricultural officer for the ministry of Agriculture in the Kunene Region, Charlie Mwaetako, who welcomed the training as a crucial step, alluded that the situation of crop production in the Kunene region is critical.
He explained that the region is a hazard-prone area, where poor and vulnerable farmers may not even have access to the traditional sources of the seed of their preferred varieties.
Mwaetako added the smallholder farmers are also not well acquainted with planting and hence the training provided an opportunity for farmers to learn and to become leading farmers.
Participant Charles Boois vowed to empower surrounding farmers in his area and use skills attained to improve his plantation skills and move towards planting seasonal crops instead of the same crops over and over again.
EIF’s corporate communications manager, Lot Ndamanomhata at the close of the training, encouraged the lead farmers to ensure that they go into their communities and share the knowledge attained over the training.
Many crop producers face access to market constraints. Ndamanomhata advised the farmers to procure goods from each other in order to ensure that the ripple effect of their produce remains within their communities.
Moreover, it will enable them to generate income and improve their livelihoods but also generate rather than wait for customers to come from somewhere else.
The training concluded with the trainee exposed to the practical demonstration on how to plant the seed at the garden of Charles Boois- as part of their training to enable lead farmers to go and teach others.
The agricultural sector still remains the source of livelihood of many Namibians by creating jobs and food; however, many smallholder farmers and aspiring Agri-preneursa lack timely access to quality certified seeds and farm machinery/equipment.
Quality seeds farm machinery are necessary for effective land preparation, planting, weeding, harvesting as the agri-sector becomes more mechanized in adoption to climatic changing conditions.
With the drought-stricken Kunene Region being more vulnerable, the IREMA training highlighted techniques to reduce vulnerability and improve food security through drought-tolerant crops.
Email: erastus@thevillager.com.na
