Thousands of farmers helped with subsidies

Thousands of farmers helped with subsidies ELLANIE SMIT

WINDHOEK

A total of 40 393 farmers - 17 175 men and 23 218 women - benefited from the Dry Land Crop Production Programme during the 2019/2020 financial year.

This is according to the agriculture ministry’s Technical Paper that was submitted in support of this financial year’s budget motivation.

The programme was implemented in Kavango East, Kavango West, Zambezi, Oshikoto, Oshana, Ohangwena, Omusati, Kunene North, some parts of Otjozondjupa and Omaheke Regions to increase food production and enhance household food security.

Through this programme farmers were assisted with subsidised farming inputs such as fertiliser, improved seed, ploughing, ripping, planting and weeding services.

According to the document, 1 343 farmers (626 men and 717 women) benefited from the fertiliser subsidy during the 2019/2020 cropping season.

In addition, 23 696 farmers (9 272 men and 14 4424 women) benefited from the seed subsidy.

Mechanised tillage services were provided to 15 235 farmers (7 255 men and 7 980 women) and 24 648 hectares of land were serviced through ripping, ploughing and planting services under the programme.

Furthermore, 166 contractual tractor drivers were recruited.

A total of 119 farmers (22 men and 97 women) benefited from subsidised weeding services and 475 hectares of land were weeded in the ten crop-growing regions.

Existing and newly established gardens were supported by providing training and technical advice to farmers and communities in the regions for enhanced food security and nutrition. A total of 1 307 community and backyard gardens as well as 2 554 farmers (1299 men and 1255 women) farmers were supported through advisory services.

These included soil sampling and testing, record keeping, financial expenditure and income statement, disease control, use of manure, harvesting methods of spinach, and preparation, planting and harvesting techniques of different vegetables, fertiliser application, transplanting, mulching, integrated pest management, compost making and crop rotation.

This financial year the ministry is aiming to render subsidised ripping, ploughing, planting, weeding and fertiliser application services in addition to subsidised production input provision to 51 327 farmers.

N$22 million has been allocated for this programme.