Fund targets farmers

ABOUT 30 emerging commercial farmers attended a financial management course at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) outside Otjiwarongo last weekend.

Farmer Koujo Katjirua said the workshop equipped them with practical farming skills to cope with the harsh and complex conditions of the agricultural sector, while increasing productivity and making a meaningful contribution to the economy. She said farming plays a critical role in the lives of rural people, who depend on crops and livestock to make a living.The course was funded by Agribank and presented by the Cheetah Conservation Fund.Agribank’s Chief Executive Officer, Leornard Iipumbu, said continuous training was the key in increasing productivity for sustained economic growth.He said training produces innovation, which is driven by interaction between producers and consumers.”Therefore, the promotion of partnerships such as this one between Agribank and CCF in the area of training, mentoring, co-ordination and collaborative programmes that facilitate the exchange of information is an important ingredient,” said Iipumbu.He said Agribank would dedicate the resources at its disposal to enhance the productivity and profitability of agriculture by providing affordable and sustainable financial products and services.”The scope of business products has been broadened in order to meet the growing demand for credit, especially in the communal areas,” said Iipumbu.The new products include loans for fish farming, harvesting and processing of natural vegetation, forestry, guest farms, insect control and game farming and hunting.CCF Director Dr Laurie Marker said the financial management course was the latest addition to the CCF’s farmer development programme, complementing the Integrated Livestock and Predator Management and the Practical Farming training courses already on offer.”As a not-for-profit organisation, CCF does not just believe in developing capacity, it has taken the lead in actually doing so,” she said.The CCF recently joined forces with Agribank to meet the training needs of emerging commercial farmers.She said farming plays a critical role in the lives of rural people, who depend on crops and livestock to make a living.The course was funded by Agribank and presented by the Cheetah Conservation Fund.Agribank’s Chief Executive Officer, Leornard Iipumbu, said continuous training was the key in increasing productivity for sustained economic growth.He said training produces innovation, which is driven by interaction between producers and consumers.”Therefore, the promotion of partnerships such as this one between Agribank and CCF in the area of training, mentoring, co-ordination and collaborative programmes that facilitate the exchange of information is an important ingredient,” said Iipumbu.He said Agribank would dedicate the resources at its disposal to enhance the productivity and profitability of agriculture by providing affordable and sustainable financial products and services.”The scope of business products has been broadened in order to meet the growing demand for credit, especially in the communal areas,” said Iipumbu.The new products include loans for fish farming, harvesting and processing of natural vegetation, forestry, guest farms, insect control and game farming and hunting.CCF Director Dr Laurie Marker said the financial management course was the latest addition to the CCF’s farmer development programme, complementing the Integrated Livestock and Predator Management and the Practical Farming training courses already on offer.”As a not-for-profit organisation, CCF does not just believe in developing capacity, it has taken the lead in actually doing so,” she said.The CCF recently joined forces with Agribank to meet the training needs of emerging commercial farmers.