Farming boards deny Nefa claims

THE Karakul Board of Namibia and the Namibian Agronomic Board have disputed allegations by the Namibia Emerging Farmers Association (Nefa) that they are “shutting out black communal and emerging farmers”.

Two weeks ago, Nefa Executive Director Nokokure Tjizera told a press briefing that the association was disappointed with the two organisations. He claimed that the agricultural sector remained in the hands of white commercial farmers, even though “the stakeholders to these institutions are communal and emerging farmers who do not benefit from their product”.”Persons must make sure that they are properly informed before they make statements to the media,” Antoinette Venter, Administrative Manager of the Agronomic Board Secretariat, said in response.She said that the Agronomic Board is a statutory body governed by the Agronomic Industry Act, and this act determines how members are chosen.Karakul Board Chairman Kobus van Wyk responded to the allegations by noting a number of projects in which the Karakul Board is currently involved.While Nefa claimed that communal farmers were not benefiting from the work of the board, Van Wyk listed at least seven Karakul Board projects linked to either reviving karakul sheep farming in communal areas, or training and passing on skills to communal farmers.One example he cited was the ram project.Currently managed by the Karakul Board and others with the purpose of reviving karakul sheep farming in communal areas, it has reportedly resulted in 1 040 subsidised rams and 1 011 ewes being sold to communal farmers countrywide.Van Wyk also denied claims that communal farmers are not represented on the board.He presented The Namibian with a number of names and titles of people on the board representing communal farmers, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.Last week, Meat Board General Manager Paul Strydom also disputed Nefa’s claim that they were not transparent in the way their board was chosen.He said that board members had to be approved by the Ministry of Agriculture after being nominated by nominating organisations.Speaking to The Namibian on Friday, Tjizera remained adamant that black people were still under-represented on the boards of the two bodies.He claimed that the agricultural sector remained in the hands of white commercial farmers, even though “the stakeholders to these institutions are communal and emerging farmers who do not benefit from their product”.”Persons must make sure that they are properly informed before they make statements to the media,” Antoinette Venter, Administrative Manager of the Agronomic Board Secretariat, said in response.She said that the Agronomic Board is a statutory body governed by the Agronomic Industry Act, and this act determines how members are chosen. Karakul Board Chairman Kobus van Wyk responded to the allegations by noting a number of projects in which the Karakul Board is currently involved.While Nefa claimed that communal farmers were not benefiting from the work of the board, Van Wyk listed at least seven Karakul Board projects linked to either reviving karakul sheep farming in communal areas, or training and passing on skills to communal farmers.One example he cited was the ram project.Currently managed by the Karakul Board and others with the purpose of reviving karakul sheep farming in communal areas, it has reportedly resulted in 1 040 subsidised rams and 1 011 ewes being sold to communal farmers countrywide.Van Wyk also denied claims that communal farmers are not represented on the board.He presented The Namibian with a number of names and titles of people on the board representing communal farmers, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Last week, Meat Board General Manager Paul Strydom also disputed Nefa’s claim that they were not transparent in the way their board was chosen.He said that board members had to be approved by the Ministry of Agriculture after being nominated by nominating organisations.Speaking to The Namibian on Friday, Tjizera remained adamant that black people were still under-represented on the boards of the two bodies.