ON A M U T A I – T h r o u g h t h e Namibia Agricultural Mechanisation and Seed Improvement Project (Namsip)
the government will give agricultural implements to farmers as part of its efforts to improve household food security and nutrition, job creation, household incomes and the lives of people living in rural areas through increased agricultural production.

Last week the councillor of Ongwediva Constituency, Andreas Uutoni, held a meeting with farmers from the constituency to explain the government’s latest initiative meant for the people in the rural areas who are intent on turning their seasonally utilised land into fully fledged farms.

At the moment thousands of mahangu fields in the northern areas are only utilised during the cultivation season, which lasts between December and June of the following year. The other remaining five to six months the land remains unproductive. But Uutoni said the government intends to change this by assisting farmers with implements that would help
them to irrigate and remain productive throughout the year, while at the same time assisting other farmers and creating
employment.

He said government has put aside N$2.4 billion for that specific activity which is scheduled to start in February
2019. Uutoni said through Namsip the government will give subsidised loans to farmers who intend to turn their
mahangu field into vegetable, seed or livestock farms. According to him the loans will not come in the form of cash
but the government will buy equipment such as tractors, irrigation systems, implements for livestock farming and
many more. The terms of loan repayment range between two and four years, depending on the farmer’s project of choice.
According to Uutoni, the farmer will be only required to pay back 60 percent of the loan received as government will
subsidise the remaining 40 percent.

“Our problem is that sometimes we become greedy. A person will make money but he/she will not pay back the money. Government will take back its implements if you fail to adhere to the loan conditions,” said Uutoni. Uutoni advised the community to grab the opportunity as presented by government, adding that they might end up regretting if they miss out on
the opportunity. “This matter seems not so important right now but you will realise its importance when others are thriving,”
he said.