Farmers in drought-prone areas, such as the Kunene region, have been urged to embrace crop diversification to improve food and nutrition security.
University of Namibia Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Dr. Lydia Ndinelao Horn, told farmers attending an IREMA Project workshop on Horticulture Production held in Khorixas, Kunene Region that in order to increase the resilience of farming systems to the various disasters or human induced hazards they “need to get an opportunity to get seeds of various crops that can perform under the challenging conditions the Kunene region is experiencing”.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and land Reform Chief Agricultural Officer in the Kunene Region, Charlie Mwaetako, said the workshop was key in assisting farmers with crop production techniques.
He added that the training provided an opportunity for farmers to become leaders in a region that is hazard-prone, where poor and vulnerable farmers lack access to the traditional sources of preferred seed varieties and are not well acquainted with modern planting techniques.
“I will ensure that I empower surrounding farmers in my area and I will ensure that with the skills attained that I improve on my plantation skills and move towards planting seasonal crops instead of the same crops over and over again,” said Charles Boois, one of the farmers attending the workshop.
The training, which was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform and the Environmental Investment Fund of Namibia that is accredited to the Green Climate Fund, brought together 45 farmers who were chosen from the Sesfontein Constituency and Khorixas District to be lead farmers, so that they can go and train other community members upon completion.
The training was aimed at providing skills that empower farmers with knowledge on horticulture production and to improve their cropping practices.
Some of the topics the farmers learnt include: The easiest way of growing vegetables, Reasons for owning your garden, Different ways of planting vegetables, Ideal conditions for creating a vegetable garden, Soil management, Insect/Pest management, Weed management, Water management, Harvesting, Post-harvest and storage, Grading and packaging and Marketing of produce.
The training also highlighted techniques to reduce vulnerability and improve food security through Drought Tolerant crops.
