Karibib Farmers’ Association marks 100 years

THE Karibib Farmers’ Association will celebrate its centenary on Saturday next week at the Klippenberg Country Lodge.

The Karibib area has played an important role in the agricultural development of Namibia because it is situated at the crossroads of major trade routes that have existed since the mid-19th century. Agricultural development in the Karibib district has faced many constraints during the past century, the most important of which is the regular long spells of severe drought.In addition, infrastructure like roads and telecommunications developed very slowly and have been regular topics of discussion at the meetings of the Karibib Farmers’ Association for most of the past 100 years.For decades, animals had to be driven to abattoirs on foot.Only in 1954, the annual report of the State Veterinarian at Omaruru says: “Farmers were making use for the first time this year of transporting their stock by motor transport from the farm to the nearest rail head – realising £2 to £3 more per head than those which had to travel some 70 miles or more on foot.”The single most important event affecting the development of the Karibib area, resulting in the establishment of towns, settlements and freehold farms, was the outbreak of a Rinderpest epidemic.Rinderpest reached Namibia in 1897 and threatened to totally paralyse the traffic of freight, thereby also cutting off all supplies from the coast to the interior.To prevent the looming stagnation of the economy, a railway line from Swakopmund was started in 1897, reaching Karibib on May 30 1900.A noteworthy event was the start of ostrich farming in the Karibib area at the end of the 19th century, when the Haelbich family introduced wild ostriches to their farm Karibib in 1897.This initial attempt was not successful and a second one was made in 1908.The Karibib farming area is well suited for small-stock farming and is an important source of income, be it in the form of pelts (very limited today), mutton or goat meat.Karakul sheep were the saviour of many farmers in the Karibib district during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 1961 and the concurrent drought.The many contributions made by the dedicated Karibib farming community to the development and progress of the Karibib agricultural sector during the past 100 years will be reflected in the publication, ‘100th Anniversary of the Karibib Farmers’ Association and the History and Agricultural Development of the Karibib District’, which will be available from June 16.Agricultural development in the Karibib district has faced many constraints during the past century, the most important of which is the regular long spells of severe drought.In addition, infrastructure like roads and telecommunications developed very slowly and have been regular topics of discussion at the meetings of the Karibib Farmers’ Association for most of the past 100 years.For decades, animals had to be driven to abattoirs on foot.Only in 1954, the annual report of the State Veterinarian at Omaruru says: “Farmers were making use for the first time this year of transporting their stock by motor transport from the farm to the nearest rail head – realising £2 to £3 more per head than those which had to travel some 70 miles or more on foot.”The single most important event affecting the development of the Karibib area, resulting in the establishment of towns, settlements and freehold farms, was the outbreak of a Rinderpest epidemic.Rinderpest reached Namibia in 1897 and threatened to totally paralyse the traffic of freight, thereby also cutting off all supplies from the coast to the interior.To prevent the looming stagnation of the economy, a railway line from Swakopmund was started in 1897, reaching Karibib on May 30 1900.A noteworthy event was the start of ostrich farming in the Karibib area at the end of the 19th century, when the Haelbich family introduced wild ostriches to their farm Karibib in 1897.This initial attempt was not successful and a second one was made in 1908.The Karibib farming area is well suited for small-stock farming and is an important source of income, be it in the form of pelts (very limited today), mutton or goat meat.Karakul sheep were the saviour of many farmers in the Karibib district during the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 1961 and the concurrent drought.The many contributions made by the dedicated Karibib farming community to the development and progress of the Karibib agricultural sector during the past 100 years will be reflected in the publication, ‘100th Anniversary of the Karibib Farmers’ Association and the History and Agricultural Development of the Karibib District’, which will be available from June 16.