X
04:54Last update on: 12 Aug 2013
The Namibian
Mon 12 Aug 2013
SMS Of The Day * MINISTRY of Gender and Child Welfare, TEARS are rolling down as I write this SMS. The killing of women in Namibia is now like reciting a poem. Are we really getting the protection we deserve while women not being treated as part of this c Food For Thought * SO the Zimbabwe elections were free and peaceful and not free and fair? Bouquets And Brickbats * NURSES at Katutura Hospital must stop wearing those big plastic sandals at work because they are not the official working shoes. We want to see you looking smart and beautiful with your full uniform. SMS Of The Day * THIS nation is in dire need of a massive conference on housing. When we experienced a crisis in the education sector a crisis-control brain-storming conference was organised which resulted in the best deal ever for the Namibian child, nam Food For Thought * BOURGEOISIE has become a daily occupation if not the order of the day of the upper-echelons, President Hifikepunye Pohamba we urge you to revisit this unpatriotic geocentricism among your staff and the well-connected, for everybody to r Bouquets And Brickbats * COMMISSIONER of Prisons, can you please explain the strategies you use to appoint officers to certain positions? It is my observation that you are being fed with wrong information then you just promote individuals without making p SMS Of The Day * I THINK Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda lost his belt because of this promoter and trainer. How can a world champion still be training at the Katutura Youth Complex where there is not enough equipment. I think they must follow the example of Ha Food For Thought * NAMIBIA Dairies are unable to match low prices of imported milk and this ultimately means the consumer will have to pay more for local milk. Look at the prices of the local chicken. All these profits are going in the pockets of a few in Bouquets And Brickbats * I AM pleased to hear that Cabinet has responded positively to the proposal of Namibia Dairies to support the industry. The restrictions which support the industry by reducing competition to ensure the survival of the industry is a SMS Of The Day * CEO’s golden handshakes. Somewhere on our statute books there must be a provision that if a board of directors suspends/dismisses a CEO without due regard to legal provision (substantive/procedural law) such board must carry the costs for Food For Thought * JACKY Asheeke was so right with her last column- why are the fathers of the dead children not being prosecuted? (Reference to the children who died in shack fires last week) Our justice system still protects men over women. In this cont Bouquets And Brickbats * ALEXACTUS Kaure, your column in Friday’s newspaper opened my eyes. One hardly finds impartial case study analysers in Namibia. Let’s not destroy the Polytechnic’s strong foundation (Tjivikua) as yet. At least wait until the transf
POLL
What do you think of the renaming and addition of regions and constituencies?
Results so far:
Older Polls
NEWS - NAMIBIA
| 2013-07-29
Government to provide free seeds
Shinovene Immanuel
THE government last week made a U-turn and has now decided to provide free seeds to communal farmers in drought and flood stricken regions as from next month.
The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry John Mutorwa made the announcement on Friday that the government will provide free seeds to drought and flood affected farmers.
Mutorwa’s announcement comes few days after he rubbished calls by farmers for the government to provide free seeds to Caprivi farmers who were relocated because of floods. He had insisted that the government would only subsidise the purchase of seeds.
However, in a turn of events, Mutorwa said on Friday the free seed will only be for a maximum of three hectares per household.
He said the ministry has produced 80 tonnes of pearl millet (mahangu) seed at the various research stations and irrigation projects.
“Some 20 tonnes of hybrid maize seed is also available from a local maize seed producer, giving us a total of 100 tonnes of seed in the country,” he said.
According to the minister, plans are in place to produce another 100 tonnes of mahangu seeds under irrigation at green scheme projects and research stations.
Mutorwa said, in addition to these plans, government will import additional mahangu, maize, sorghum and legume seed to make up for the shortfall.
The Government has been critisised by some affected farmers, including the farmers’ unions for being too slow in implementing their drought relief plan.
The minister said, within the next two weeks, the government will make available 10 tonnes of hybrid maze seed to the flood affected farming households in the Caprivi Region.
Mutorwa said beneficiaries will have to be registered in consultation with regional councillors at constituency offices in order to ensure “smooth and timely provision of seeds”.
Mutorwa said N$5 million has been set aside for the production and distribution of mahangu to the drought and flood affected community.
Government is also weighing options of including commercial rain-fed crop farmers.
New Era reported last week that farmers in Kavango Region feared that the harvest in the next rainy season could be as poor as this year’s if government does not provide free seed to communal farmers.
The same plea came from people in the flood-affected Caprivi region.
The government last month announced a N$218 million plan which includes paying farmers incentives to sell their livestock, lease of grazing land and the drilling of more than 200 boreholes.
According to Unicef, there are more than 778 000 people affected including 109 000 children under five who are at risk of malnutrition in Namibia.
The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry John Mutorwa made the announcement on Friday that the government will provide free seeds to drought and flood affected farmers.
Mutorwa’s announcement comes few days after he rubbished calls by farmers for the government to provide free seeds to Caprivi farmers who were relocated because of floods. He had insisted that the government would only subsidise the purchase of seeds.
However, in a turn of events, Mutorwa said on Friday the free seed will only be for a maximum of three hectares per household.
He said the ministry has produced 80 tonnes of pearl millet (mahangu) seed at the various research stations and irrigation projects.
“Some 20 tonnes of hybrid maize seed is also available from a local maize seed producer, giving us a total of 100 tonnes of seed in the country,” he said.
According to the minister, plans are in place to produce another 100 tonnes of mahangu seeds under irrigation at green scheme projects and research stations.
Mutorwa said, in addition to these plans, government will import additional mahangu, maize, sorghum and legume seed to make up for the shortfall.
The Government has been critisised by some affected farmers, including the farmers’ unions for being too slow in implementing their drought relief plan.
The minister said, within the next two weeks, the government will make available 10 tonnes of hybrid maze seed to the flood affected farming households in the Caprivi Region.
Mutorwa said beneficiaries will have to be registered in consultation with regional councillors at constituency offices in order to ensure “smooth and timely provision of seeds”.
Mutorwa said N$5 million has been set aside for the production and distribution of mahangu to the drought and flood affected community.
Government is also weighing options of including commercial rain-fed crop farmers.
New Era reported last week that farmers in Kavango Region feared that the harvest in the next rainy season could be as poor as this year’s if government does not provide free seed to communal farmers.
The same plea came from people in the flood-affected Caprivi region.
The government last month announced a N$218 million plan which includes paying farmers incentives to sell their livestock, lease of grazing land and the drilling of more than 200 boreholes.
According to Unicef, there are more than 778 000 people affected including 109 000 children under five who are at risk of malnutrition in Namibia.
Comment on this article
www.weatherphotos.co.za
Windhoek
7°
24°
0mm
Walvis Bay
8°
22°
0mm
Oshakati
8°
31°
0mm
Keetmanshoop
1°
17°
0mm
Grootfontein
2°
27°
0mm
Gobabis
5°
24°
0mm
(August 12)
View more ...