Agriculture minister Inge Zaamwani has called on 101 resettlement beneficiaries at Tsintsabis to develop their farming units and put the land to productive use.
The beneficiaries received allotment letters for farming units on farm Tsintsabis no 881 and farm Urwald no 1150 in the Guinas constituency on Saturday.
Zaamwani handed letters to 38 beneficiaries at farm Tsintsabis and 63 at farm Urwald. The government acquired the two farms in 1992 for food production and income-generating activities.
The minister of agriculture, fisheries, water and land reform said receiving the letters comes with the responsibility to develop the land, adding that the units must be used for livestock farming, crop production or other approved agricultural activities.
“Agricultural land cannot be allowed to remain idle,” Zaamwani said.
She called on the beneficiaries to maintain infrastructure and resources on their farming units.
“Our land reform programme must contribute meaningfully to poverty reduction, food security, rural development, employment creation and improved livelihoods,” she said.
She said success should be measured by the food beneficiaries produce, the jobs they create and improvements in their communities.
The minister encouraged the farmers to use available support services and seek professional advice.
Zaamwani said the aim is to move beneficiaries from simply having access to land to running farming operations that can sustain themselves commercially.
“The land allocated today must remain productive for future generations,” she said.
Oshikoto governor Sacky Kathindi at the occasion said some beneficiaries had waited for their allocations to be formalised, leaving them without security of tenure.
He said the matter received renewed attention after Guinas constituency councillor and deputy minister in the office of the vice president Moses //Khumub raised concerns about the beneficiaries’ lack of security of tenure.
Kathindi said the letters will also allow beneficiaries to plan and invest in their farms.
“The allotment letters provide beneficiaries with an opportunity to plan, invest in and develop their farming units with greater confidence,” he said.
Kathindi said allocating land alone would not make the resettlement programme successful.
“The success of the resettlement programme depends not only on the allocation of land, but also on the productive use of that land,” he said.
Kathindi also encouraged the beneficiaries to look for opportunities beyond primary production.
“We encourage the beneficiaries to make productive use of these farming units, and, where possible, explore opportunities for value addition, market access and partnerships that can strengthen their agricultural activities,” he said.
Kathindi said agriculture remains important for livelihoods, food security and economic opportunities in the Oshikoto region.
