Hertta-Maria Amutenja
Farmers from the Gam settlement in the Otjozondjupa Region are experiencing financial and logistical difficulties accessing drought relief subsidies provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform (MAWLR).
According to the farmers, the current system requires them to make bank deposits and travel over 400 kilometres to the nearest town, a process that they say is unsustainable.
Chief Hans Kandji, speaking on behalf of the community, told the Windhoek Observer that the government supplies food for cattle.
For the farmers to access the animal feed, they must purchase it through a system that involves bank deposits.
“The problem is that farmers have to travel to towns like Gobabis or Grootfontein, which are about 400 kilometres from Gam, just to deposit money at a bank,” he said.
According to the chief, the farmers are then required to present a deposit slip at the agricultural office in order to collect the feed.
He said that a single bag of grass costs N$100, and despite its availability, many farmers are unable to access it due to the financial burden and long travel distances.
“As I am speaking to you, the bags of grass are just lying in the office because of the struggle one has to go through to get a bag,” Kandji said.
Kandji said farmers have raised these concerns with the MAWLR, but the authority says this is their current process.
“We spoke to the agriculture offices through the ministry, and they said this is the process they are using,” Kandji added.
By the time of publication, MAWLR had not responded to queries sent regarding the farmers’ concerns.
