Emerging farmers map the future

MEMBERS of the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers’ Union (NECFU) met at Okahandja yesterday for the union’s inaugural congress and the election of an executive committee.

The two-day congress’s agenda includes the election of the committee and a discussion of the way forward for the union.The delegates invited a number of donors and supporters, including Agra and First National Bank, in order to consolidate their relationship.The delegation members present at the congress will review and discuss the NECFU constitution.Doufi Namalambo, the moderator at the event, explained that delegates should ‘map give the executive committee an idea of what is urgent … and to pave the way for them to know what is expected of them.’Salomon Tjipura, the Acting President of NECFU, emphasised the critical role agriculture plays in Namibia, especially in regard to offering a ‘viable and sustainable industrial and social economic growth’.He added that ‘agriculture is the economic base for the majority of the poor in Namibia and constitutes a key economic sector in most countries,’ he said.Delegates from the major commercial farming regions, such as Oshikoto Region, Erongo Region, Kunene Region, Hardap Region, Karas, Otjozondjupa and Omaheke Region are attending the congress.According to Tjipura, the NECFU has approximately 600 to 700 signed up members. Tjipura said to date sponsors and donors had focused mainly on training emerging farmers, and one of the things he would suggest the new committee to look at is to equip emerging commercial farmers with proper tools to apply what they have learnt.’For the last couple of years we have focused on training. But it doesn’t make sense to train someone for years on how to do things, if he doesn’t have the necessary equipment to do it,’ he said.Tjipura said while the union is ‘ready to work with anyone towards the attainment of one overarching structure’ in the organised agriculture sector in Namibia, the NECFU was created to serve the different needs of emerging commercial farmers in Namibia.’The most important thing is that although we have the same programmes, we have different priorities. That is the big difference because things that matter a lot to established commercial farmers, may be a priority to us too, but it is not top priority.’Tjipura does see the need for a unification of the agricultural sector in Namibia, in order to effective tackle the major issues facing the industry.’Farmers’ unions must become strong and sound a united voice on a national level,’ he said.