Communal farming in strong pitch towards modernisation

THE communal farming sector is rapidly transforming from traditional ways to modern farming and marketing techniques, requiring emerging farmers to remain in touch with market requirements for livestock and crop products, a conference for communal farmers has revealed.

At the three-day event, which closed at the end of last week, topics such as livestock production and marketing initiatives, crop and grain production as well as HIV-AIDS and labour issues regarding farmworkers in the communal sector were discussed. NNFU President Manfred Rukoro said the objective of the union’s first outreach programme was to share the body’s experience in supporting farmers’ initiatives with farmers, donors, the agricultural sector and Government representatives.”We need to realign the NNFU programmes and activities because the socio-economic environment has changed in the past few years and modern marketing requirements are required due to regional integration and globalisation,” Rukoro told participants.The agricultural body runs three different programmes in support of livestock marketing by communal farmers.These include training community-based livestock marketing advisers, the renovation and upgrading of auction pens in communal areas and support to agricultural shows aimed at improving herd quality.”We want our programmes to be genuinely demand driven and participative to put communal farmers at the centre of the developmental process,” the NNFU told this newspaper.”Farmers’ organisations should act as conduits of development to rural communities and empower local institutions.”NNFU Executive Director Vehaka Tjimune said communal farmers wanted markets for their products such as livestock, mahangu and maize in order to earn an income.”The traditional way of rural farming for own use and consumption is changing into producing more than can be used in order to earn cash,” Tjimune said at the end of the conference.Established in 1992 to act as an advocacy body to improve the livelihood of some 4 000 small-scale communal farmers, the NNFU represents 12 regional farmers’ unions.The membership now also includes black emerging commercial farmers.The NNFU congress in 2004 resolved to formulate a new vision for the organisation.Its executive committee undertook extensive consultations with members and stakeholders of the NNFU at local, regional and national level.An Executive Director was appointed a year ago.The NNFU has an operating budget of about N$3,5 million, partly covered by membership fees.It also receives donor funding from Spain and Oxfam.France has sponsored several publications regarding mahangu and grain production and farming manuals.The NNFU co-operates with the commercial farmers’ organisation, the National Agricultural Union (NAU).They jointly undertake training courses for communal and emerging black commercial farmers, which will be expanded in due course, once funding from the European Commission is granted.During a recent courtesy call at State House by both unions’ executives and presidents, President Hifikepunye Pohamba expressed the wish that the two farmers’ unions would merge into one body in future.NNFU President Manfred Rukoro said the objective of the union’s first outreach programme was to share the body’s experience in supporting farmers’ initiatives with farmers, donors, the agricultural sector and Government representatives. “We need to realign the NNFU programmes and activities because the socio-economic environment has changed in the past few years and modern marketing requirements are required due to regional integration and globalisation,” Rukoro told participants.The agricultural body runs three different programmes in support of livestock marketing by communal farmers.These include training community-based livestock marketing advisers, the renovation and upgrading of auction pens in communal areas and support to agricultural shows aimed at improving herd quality.”We want our programmes to be genuinely demand driven and participative to put communal farmers at the centre of the developmental process,” the NNFU told this newspaper.”Farmers’ organisations should act as conduits of development to rural communities and empower local institutions.”NNFU Executive Director Vehaka Tjimune said communal farmers wanted markets for their products such as livestock, mahangu and maize in order to earn an income.”The traditional way of rural farming for own use and consumption is changing into producing more than can be used in order to earn cash,” Tjimune said at the end of the conference. Established in 1992 to act as an advocacy body to improve the livelihood of some 4 000 small-scale communal farmers, the NNFU represents 12 regional farmers’ unions.The membership now also includes black emerging commercial farmers.The NNFU congress in 2004 resolved to formulate a new vision for the organisation.Its executive committee undertook extensive consultations with members and stakeholders of the NNFU at local, regional and national level.An Executive Director was appointed a year ago.The NNFU has an operating budget of about N$3,5 million, partly covered by membership fees.It also receives donor funding from Spain and Oxfam.France has sponsored several publications regarding mahangu and grain production and farming manuals.The NNFU co-operates with the commercial farmers’ organisation, the National Agricultural Union (NAU).They jointly undertake training courses for communal and emerging black commercial farmers, which will be expanded in due course, once funding from the European Commission is granted.During a recent courtesy call at State House by both unions’ executives and presidents, President Hifikepunye Pohamba expressed the wish that the two farmers’ unions would merge into one body in future.