AGRICULTURAL experts have resolved to develop a natural rangeland policy for Namibia’s farming areas – including communal land and resettlement farms – as soil erosion, overgrazing and climate change result in land degradation, which is detrimental to raising livestock and game.
At the annual rangeland forum, which took place in Windhoek last week under the theme ‘Decision-making in Rangeland Management’, experts noted that communal and emerging commercial farmers face a challenge of rangeland management and degradation. “This is not only a nationwide problem, but also for Africa and even the world,” said Bertus Kruger, who runs the Emerging Commercial Farmers’ Support Programme (ECFSP).”We discussed that the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS) beneficiaries need practical applied skills on rangeland management which they couldn’t acquire in the communal areas where they come from,” Kruger told The Namibian on Friday.”These farmers and also resettlement beneficiaries are at high risk of degrading their land through overgrazing and bush encroachment.They also lack finance to maintain and develop their infrastructure,” Kruger said.”We further discussed to recommend to Government that land management plans be mapped out for resettlement farms and ECFSP has started a trial on such a farm in the Omaheke area.”Resettlement beneficiaries are often allocated small farming units and some of them would not have enough camps to give grass enough time to recover or rest.”They also struggle with finance, knowledge and a conducive title deed to exploit services from financial institutions,” Kruger explained.Government owns around 350 farms that are earmarked for resettlement, but not all are occupied and productive.”This is not only a nationwide problem, but also for Africa and even the world,” said Bertus Kruger, who runs the Emerging Commercial Farmers’ Support Programme (ECFSP).”We discussed that the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS) beneficiaries need practical applied skills on rangeland management which they couldn’t acquire in the communal areas where they come from,” Kruger told The Namibian on Friday.”These farmers and also resettlement beneficiaries are at high risk of degrading their land through overgrazing and bush encroachment.They also lack finance to maintain and develop their infrastructure,” Kruger said.”We further discussed to recommend to Government that land management plans be mapped out for resettlement farms and ECFSP has started a trial on such a farm in the Omaheke area.”Resettlement beneficiaries are often allocated small farming units and some of them would not have enough camps to give grass enough time to recover or rest.”They also struggle with finance, knowledge and a conducive title deed to exploit services from financial institutions,” Kruger explained.Government owns around 350 farms that are earmarked for resettlement, but not all are occupied and productive.
