OKAPYA – The President of the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU), Manfred Rukoro, says the union has mobilised various stakeholders to support agricultural shows in the country.
Speaking at the Mangetti Farmers’ Association (MFA) cattle show on Saturday, Rukoro said through the NNFU mobilisation for support the show fund was established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry. Applications to access the established fund as well as the show reports, Rukoro said, are co-ordinated by the NNFU Secretariat.He pointed out that a consortium of organisations such as the Meat Board, First National Bank, Agribank, Meatco, Agra, Feed Master and Namibia Breweries Limited, which are supporting the show fund.Rukoro told the MFA Agricultural Show gathering, which included Information and Broadcasting Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, that the closing date for applications for the funds is at the end of March every year.Said Rukoro: “This process is designed to enable the sponsors to receive the applications well in time and be able to mobilise the necessary resources.”Therefore, he advised the farmers’ associations to apply ahead of time in order to avoid disappointment in the future.Rukoro expressed dismay that the MFA failed to benefit from the show fund this year, adding that the MFA agricultural show will enjoy preference treatment next year.Speaking at the same occasion, Chairman of the MFA, Ismael Shailemo, denied the allegations that his association belongs to just a few individuals and was not benefiting all farmers in the northern communal areas (NCA).Shailemo stressed that a number of NCA farmers are united behind his association and, through economic hardship, they have made various contributions towards the socio-economic development of the country.Through its social obligation, Shailemo said, the MFA provided beef to the NDF during their peacekeeping operations in the DRC.”We have thus far donated 10 cattle to the voluntary construction of the Tsumeb-Oshikango railway extension project, 14 cattle to the digging of a borehole at Ekulo Secondary School, supporting cultural festivals and donated 200 bags of mahangu flour to patients at various hospitals in the north recently,” Shailemo said.- NampaApplications to access the established fund as well as the show reports, Rukoro said, are co-ordinated by the NNFU Secretariat.He pointed out that a consortium of organisations such as the Meat Board, First National Bank, Agribank, Meatco, Agra, Feed Master and Namibia Breweries Limited, which are supporting the show fund.Rukoro told the MFA Agricultural Show gathering, which included Information and Broadcasting Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, that the closing date for applications for the funds is at the end of March every year.Said Rukoro: “This process is designed to enable the sponsors to receive the applications well in time and be able to mobilise the necessary resources.”Therefore, he advised the farmers’ associations to apply ahead of time in order to avoid disappointment in the future.Rukoro expressed dismay that the MFA failed to benefit from the show fund this year, adding that the MFA agricultural show will enjoy preference treatment next year.Speaking at the same occasion, Chairman of the MFA, Ismael Shailemo, denied the allegations that his association belongs to just a few individuals and was not benefiting all farmers in the northern communal areas (NCA).Shailemo stressed that a number of NCA farmers are united behind his association and, through economic hardship, they have made various contributions towards the socio-economic development of the country.Through its social obligation, Shailemo said, the MFA provided beef to the NDF during their peacekeeping operations in the DRC.”We have thus far donated 10 cattle to the voluntary construction of the Tsumeb-Oshikango railway extension project, 14 cattle to the digging of a borehole at Ekulo Secondary School, supporting cultural festivals and donated 200 bags of mahangu flour to patients at various hospitals in the north recently,” Shailemo said.- Nampa
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