Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) commissioner general Raphael Hamunyela said the maize crops left bent and completely flattened by strong winds and rain at the Divudu Correctional Facility farm last Wednesday are recovering.
Hamunyela told The Namibian on Monday that by last Friday, only 86 of 166,7 hectares of the farm was viable for harvest. However, as of Monday, crops on 146 hectares had recovered.
“Only about 20 hectares is not up but we hope the crops will be very soon. If they don’t recover, we will re-plant, but we are confident that when they get enough sunlight, they will get up. Elders in the area told us that as time goes on, the plants will improve and it happened,” Hamunyela said, expressing optimism about an April harvest.
Hamunyela said the incident did not pose a food security threat to the NCS, as ample reserves exist.
He said this is the first time the farm has suffered damage.
The officer in charge of Divundu Correctional Facility, assistant commissioner Saima Kamwangha was unable to provide any information on the current condition of the crops as she was not in the region.
Farm manager, deputy commissioner Janie van Greunen, however, contradicted Hamunyela’s account, saying only a few crops had recovered.
“I cannot tell you how many hectares are affected, because that means I have to measure. Only one pivot is up, others are still down and it’s not looking good,” said Greunen, speaking from the farm on Monday afternoon.
Hamunyela, in a media release on Friday, said the farm is an agricultural initiative of the NCS, aimed at imparting agricultural skills for inmates’ rehabilitation and reintegration, as well as to attain food-self-sufficiency.
“On 7 February 2024, the farm faced an unfortunate event that impacted its operations and agricultural output,” Hamunyela said in a statement.
He said the farm received 50mm of rain which was accompanied by strong winds, which swept through the area, wreaking havoc on the farm’s infrastructure and crops.
“The damage occurred during a critical growth stage, leading to significant losses and potential disruptions to the farm’s agricultural activities for this season,” he added.
“The facility’s management has already taken immediate action to assess the extent of the damage and implement measures to mitigate further losses,” Hamunyela said.
“Seven centre pivots measuring 166,7 hectares of maize, which were scheduled for harvesting in April 2024, were negatively affected, leaving only 80,55 hectares viable for harvest.
“This unforeseen setback, caused by severe weather conditions, is a significant blow to our agricultural operations and rehabilitation programmes,” Hamunyela said.
At the time, he said the NCS was working diligently to mitigate the impact of the damage and ensure that it can still deliver on its commitment to food production and offender rehabilitation.
“Efforts are underway to repair the centre pivots and salvage what remains of the maize crop.”
He said the facility is also exploring alternative measures to supplement the lost production and maintain its contributions to food security and the rehabilitation efforts of the NCS.
