Govt won’t declare a drought – for now

GOVERNMENT will not yet declare some areas of Namibia drought-stricken, Agriculture Minister Dr Nickey Iyambo told the National Assembly yesterday.

However, he added, they are assessing the condition of grazing and water available after the past rainy season, which was blow average. Iyambo was delivering a ministerial statement on the situation.”Our Ministry and the Emergency Management Unit (EMU) in the Office of the Prime Minister is conducting a case study to submit to Cabinet to be deliberated on and pronouncements to be made,” Iyambo said.”The current drought situation in the country is a result of below-normal to near-rainfall for the 2006-2007 rainy season,” he added.Although crop-growing areas initially received quite good rains, they had had to endure long dry spells, then floods and persistent swarms of red-billed quelea birds.This had led to fewer crop yields this year, which would affect the food security situation at household level.”The domestic cereal production estimate is 40 per cent lower than last year,” the Minister said.Further, some grazing areas would not be sufficient to feed livestock as the dry season progressed.”Farmers are therefore encouraged to market some of their animals to ease the strain on the fragile grasslands as a form of drought management practice.”Iyambo urged DTA politician McHenry Venaani not to table a motion to debate the pending drought yesterday, but to rather wait until Government had pronounced itself on the situation.”We must not send unwarranted alarm into the country,” the Minister cautioned.Venaani nonetheless tabled his motion.It states that the worst hit areas are the Karas and Kunene regions and large parts of the Erongo, Oshana, northern Oshikoto and eastern Omaheke regions.Venaani also alleged that “hundreds of elephants” were roaming communal areas in the Kamanjab constituency, causing damage to farm infrastructure, and said that they should be “driven back into the Etosha national park”.Global climate changes were also having an impact on Namibia, resulting in dry parts becoming dryer, while erratic rainfall patterns would harm crop production.Namibia should in the long run grow drought-resistant crops and breed livestock which can live in arid conditions, Venaani said.While DTA politician Philemon Moongo felt more Government aid for subsistence farmers was needed, Ben Ulenga of the Congress of Democrats (CoD) argued that a long-term approach was required.”We only attend to drought crises in a seasonal approach.We need long-term measures and one could be to grow drought-resistant crops like mahangu for animal fodder,” Ulenga said.”Is it CoD policy that mahangu should be given to animals?” Prime Minister Nahas Angula wanted to know.Ulenga said he was aware that some people found it immoral to grow mahangu and sorghum for animal fodder, but at least in this way animals could be saved which benefited people as well.Deputy Local, Regional and Housing Minister Kazenambo Kazenambo criticised “rich communal farmers who illegally take communal grazing areas” for their own cattle, as well as people living near Government water points who refused to allow others to benefit from the water.”This should not happen, but it is occurring very often,” he criticised.Iyambo was delivering a ministerial statement on the situation.”Our Ministry and the Emergency Management Unit (EMU) in the Office of the Prime Minister is conducting a case study to submit to Cabinet to be deliberated on and pronouncements to be made,” Iyambo said.”The current drought situation in the country is a result of below-normal to near-rainfall for the 2006-2007 rainy season,” he added.Although crop-growing areas initially received quite good rains, they had had to endure long dry spells, then floods and persistent swarms of red-billed quelea birds.This had led to fewer crop yields this year, which would affect the food security situation at household level.”The domestic cereal production estimate is 40 per cent lower than last year,” the Minister said.Further, some grazing areas would not be sufficient to feed livestock as the dry season progressed.”Farmers are therefore encouraged to market some of their animals to ease the strain on the fragile grasslands as a form of drought management practice.”Iyambo urged DTA politician McHenry Venaani not to table a motion to debate the pending drought yesterday, but to rather wait until Government had pronounced itself on the situation.”We must not send unwarranted alarm into the country,” the Minister cautioned.Venaani nonetheless tabled his motion.It states that the worst hit areas are the Karas and Kunene regions and large parts of the Erongo, Oshana, northern Oshikoto and eastern Omaheke regions.Venaani also alleged that “hundreds of elephants” were roaming communal areas in the Kamanjab constituency, causing damage to farm infrastructure, and said that they should be “driven back into the Etosha national park”.Global climate changes were also having an impact on Namibia, resulting in dry parts becoming dryer, while erratic rainfall patterns would harm crop production.Namibia should in the long run grow drought-resistant crops and breed livestock which can live in arid conditions, Venaani said.While DTA politician Philemon Moongo felt more Government aid for subsistence farmers was needed, Ben Ulenga of the Congress of Democrats (CoD) argued that a long-term approach was required.”We only attend to drought crises in a seasonal approach.We need long-term measures and one could be to grow drought-resistant crops like mahangu for animal fodder,” Ulenga said.”Is it CoD policy that mahangu should be given to animals?” Prime Minister Nahas Angula wanted to know.Ulenga said he was aware that some people found it immoral to grow mahangu and sorghum for animal fodder, but at least in this way animals could be saved which benefited people as well.Deputy Local, Regional and Housing Minister Kazenambo Kazenambo criticised “rich communal farmers who illegally take communal grazing areas” for their own cattle, as well as people living near Government water points who refused to allow others to benefit from the water.”This should not happen, but it is occurring very often,” he criticised.