Charles Tjatindi
Metarere Ngeenguno had always wanted to farm for himself. The lure of deciding on his own breed, production type and how to market his products effectively was overwhelming for the ardent farmer. Having been raised in the livestock rich Omaheke region, Ngeenguno’s dream grew by the day as he watched other farmers going about the trade in his home constituency of Aminuis.
In 2002, Ngeenguno got his lucky break; his parents have just acquired a farm in the Leonardville district of the same region. As in the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ, it was at Farm Bethlehem where Ngeenguno’s farming dream was eventually birthed.
From Bethlehem, Ngeenguno managed to take his ambitions higher by venturing into commercial livestock farming. His main focus is on small stock farming, where he farms with the world acclaimed Boer goat and the adaptable Van Rooy sheep.
“Settling at Bethlehem has been a blessing for me as I finally managed to work on my ambition of becoming a fully fledged farmer. I chose to focus on small stock as it has always been my first love coming from Aminuis which has predominantly been a small stock area,” Ngeenguno said.
The family also do keep cattle, where the focus is on producing quality male calves for auctions and other markets.
He traces his farming journey to 2016 when - despite having been raised into a family of farmers - he got more involved by attending livestock auctions, farmers’ days and agricultural shows.
“My mission was to do more research on the farming industry. My late Father Arnold Ngeenguno also helped me by being someone who really motivated me to start farming. But all in all, at the end of the day I would say I was born a farmer, it’s in the blood,” he said.
Ngeenguno is awaiting a response on his application to be registered as a stud Boer Boat producer and is hopeful that such application will be accepted and he will continue breeding quality Boer goats for the market.
“I am currently not registered with any association, but I have applied with the Boer goat association to be registered. Perhaps by next year I will be finally registered.
The farmer said he managed to produce about 10 Boer goat rams and six commercial sheep rams which he intended to sell locally to other farmers. He is however optimistic that come next year, he will sell his products through elite production auctions.
Such auctions are hosted by farmers who produce elite livestock for the market, and buyers usually scramble such auctions for the best possible animals to improve their herds. Ngeenguno is certain that he has reached elite levels in his farming pursuits and is ready to take on big guns in the sector.
“During my first major show appearance for my livestock last year in Aminuis, I managed to go head to head with the likes of Niklas Mbingeneeko and I managed to win big prizes. This showed me that I have the potential to achieve even greater accolades if I continue working hard on this dream,” he noted.
At the said show in Aminuis, Ngeenguno took top honours by ending second in the male sheep (rams) category and third place in the female sheep (ewe) category.
As a means of giving back to the community that groomed him, Ngeenguno participated in a farmers’ day in Onderombapa where he lectured on good farming practices and shared lessons learned from the sector.
He encourages aspiring farmers to never lose their focus, but to remain firm to the purpose so that they can reach their true potential as farmers.
“To future, aspiring, energetic and fruitful young farmers out there; never give up on your dreams. You might ask yourself; which farming mode is best for me? But the real answer is that anything will work as long as you put your mind, time and effort on it.
“You need to ask yourself tough questions such as, ‘Will I be patient enough and bear the obstacles and challenges? Do I really have what it takes to make it as a farmer?’ If yes, you are ready. Go for it,” he noted.
- tjatindi@gmail.com