M’kata community forest doing well

RUNDU – The only community forestry project in the Otjozondjupa Region, at M’kata settlement near Tsumkwe, is reportedly well on track.

According to the quarterly news bulletin of Community Forestry, M’kata is the biggest community forest project in Namibia so far, covering 86 765 hectares. The area has many valuable tree species that are managed and protected by the community of M’kata settlement.Collecting firewood is the main income-generating activity in the M’kata community forest.Local people also hunt and gather wild fruit and medicinal plants in the area.Based on a new permit system, hundreds of tons of dry acacia wood is being harvested and packed for export to neighbouring South Africa as firewood.Most of the activities are carried out in co-operation with entrepreneurs at Grootfontein, Otjiwarongo and Tsumeb.Five new community forests are expected to be established in the Otjozondjupa Region in the near future.- NampaThe area has many valuable tree species that are managed and protected by the community of M’kata settlement.Collecting firewood is the main income-generating activity in the M’kata community forest.Local people also hunt and gather wild fruit and medicinal plants in the area.Based on a new permit system, hundreds of tons of dry acacia wood is being harvested and packed for export to neighbouring South Africa as firewood.Most of the activities are carried out in co-operation with entrepreneurs at Grootfontein, Otjiwarongo and Tsumeb.Five new community forests are expected to be established in the Otjozondjupa Region in the near future.- Nampa