//KHARAS governor Aletha Fredericks says the government is committed to developing and supporting small-scale farmers through the National Horticulture Support Programme to ensure food security in the country.
In her state of the region address on Friday, Fredericks said the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform had capacitated 2 048 farmers through training sessions, information days and exposure visits on crop production, rangeland management and animal husbandry in the region.
The governor said communal and resettled farmers are being supported to enhance market-driven production in the horticulture by ensuring they have access to essential farming inputs such as seed, fertilizer, pesticides, irrigation packages, shade nets and tools.
“A total of 53 farmers were assisted through this National Horticulture Support Programme with 65% of them from communal areas, 28% being resettled farmers and 7% from the peri-urban areas,” said Frederiks.
The ministry also introduced the Poultry Value Chain Development Scheme and supported 20 communal farmers each from the Berseba and Karasburg-East constituencies with 21 boer goats per beneficiary, comprising of 20 female and one male.
“These communal farmers also got fencing materials, vaccines, antibiotics and husbandry tools. A tailor-made small stock training is also arranged, but is pending due to the Covid-19 restrictions, said the governor.
Frederick also announced that the construction of the //Kharas Oasis Truck Port at Karasburg was at an advanced stage.
“This truck port is an essential element in the efforts of the government to become a transport and logistics hub in the SADC region and will also bring much-needed economic development and jobs to the people of Karasburg,” said Frederik.
In support of the transport and logistics hub initiative, the Road Fund Administration is expected to increase its funding to maintain and rehabilitate the urban road network infrastructure in the region to N$348 million in the 2021/22 financial year from the current N$193 million.
“The expected increase is most welcomed because the //Kharas region has the highest roads network per capita in Namibia. In total, the Road Fund Administration allocated N$11,6 million to local authorities for road maintenance in the region,” said the governor.
The region also made progress in economic development where 628 new businesses were registered of which 120 were granted SME status.
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