Africa-Press – Namibia. OMUSATI governor Erginus Endjala has urged communal farmers to avoid spending too much time at cuca shops during the rainy season while abandoning their crop field work.
Endjala says he’s in consultation with traditional leaders in the region to formulate a temporary rule that would prevent cuca shop owners from operating their businesses during the day when people are supposed to be busy ploughing their fields.
He asserts that cuca shops should only operate from about 14h00.
“I am strongly urging the traditional authorities to go out there in the communities and encourage people to spend more time ploughing their crop fields, rather than spending too much time at the cuca shops.
“The traditional authorities must only allow people to operate their cuca shops after midday when school is out because it will not make sense to complain later when there is no food while we were idling at cuca shops when we had time to plough our fields and produce food,” he says.
Endjala also encourages farmers to plough their crop fields early because this year’s rainy season is predicted to be very short.
“It is further predicted that we are going to receive below average rainfall so it is very important for farmers to plough early and avoid hunger later during the year.
“I therefore wish the inhabitants of the Omusati region to remain resilient and continue working hard for the betterment of their lives. Hunger is real and we should try by all means to avoid it while we still have the strength to work in our crop fields,” Endjala says.
In recent weeks, many parts of the northern regions have received above normal rainfall, bringing relief to most farmers who are still recovering from prolonged dry spells.
Meanwhile, the agriculture ministry has made tractors available to provide subsidised seed and fertiliser to crop producing farmers during the current rainy season.
Ministry spokesperson Jona Musheko advised communal farmers in the northern regions to prepare their crop fields during the ongoing rainy season.
“We request our farmers out there to remain patient and be hopeful for more good rains,” he says.
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