Kamanjab farmers in need of assistance

AS the government focuses more on people, it forgets that livestock is the backbone of farmers’ livelihoods.

These were the sentiments of Kamanjab constituency councillor, Nico Somaeb, during an interview with The Namibian recently.

“We concentrate on people, but droughts also affects livestock, and we don’t focus on livestock,” Somaeb said, adding: “While person will ask for assistance, or a plate of food when they are hungry, an animal would never ask nor have a place to go to.”

“Many people lost livestock to drought, and drought is still a threat to the remaining livestock,” Somaeb warned.

He said Kamanjab constituency is in need of drought relief food as well as stockfeed.

Somaeb said pastures in his constituency are barren and even if it rains, it would take about three months for the grass to fully grow.

“The pastures are overgrazed, and it will take long for them to recover. Every farmer needs to be assisted with lucerne and other types of stockfeed.”

Somaeb lashed out at the government for formulating policies which benefit only the northern parts of the country.

As the drought has killed livestock, many farmers come to Kamanjab in the hope of finding better opportunities and this puts pressure on the village council as people need services, he said.

The councillor urged the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development to allocate more resources to Kamanjab village council to cope with the high influx of people.

“The village council is under pressure as more people come, more shacks are set up and the need for services, which the council must provide, grows,” Somaeb said.

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