Agra shows the value of dry-land cultivated pastures

Agra Professional Services, with a sponsorship from the Millennium Challenge Account - Namibia, provided an opportunity for agricultural stakeholders to get insight into the large potential and profitability that cultivated pastures can have for those who venture into it. This was done through a two-day workshop, including a farmers’ exposure visit on dry-land cultivated pastures in the Grootfontein area, on the farm Blystroom of Mr. Dawie Kok, who was crowned “Young Farmer of the Year” in 2011.

 

Bertus Kruger standing in the
cultivated pasture on Farm Blystroom

The workshop was well attended with 53 participants from various key stakeholders in Agriculture, ranging from regional council staff, Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry employees, various representatives of non-governmental organisations, GOPA, Meatboard of Namibia, Agribank (Farmers Support Project), to many  prominent farmers from the northern communal areas.

 

Dawie Kok shares important
information while visiting the cultivated pastures

The practice of using dry-land cultivated pastures to produce fodder, which is currently imported from South Africa at exorbitant prices, should be a priority in Namibia. By so doing, Namibia addresses the food shortage for livestock considering that most rangelands are severely degraded in the NCA’s and there is hardly enough to sustain most livestock. Participants of the workshop were shown the method and implements used on the farm in this enterprise and how these can best be incorporated on a smaller scale on communal lands.

 

Bertus Kruger of Agra PSD
discusses controlled grazing on cultivated pastures.

Most participants emphasized the need to create demonstration plots, which would be accessible to the public to see and learn from. On the final day of the workshop, attendees from the regions gathered and brainstormed about different needs and the way forward in the various regions concerning fodder production.  Kunene Regional Governor Joshua //Hoebeb praised the “revolutionary, breakthrough” technology of farming with grass, stating: “you are not a livestock farmer until you farm with grass!”

                                                                   

a group of councilors of
Oshikoto, Omusati, Kunene and Kavango regions with Kunene Governor,
Honorable Joshua //Hoebeb (standing in the middle, with green lanyard), and
owner of Farm Blystroom, Dawie Kok (fourth from left

Hon. Dudu Murorua also made a point that “since new land is no longer created/available, we have to become more efficient on the land we already have, and also manage it sustainably”.

 

Participants at the discussion
during the excursion to the cultivated pastures on Farm Blystroom.

The event was one of various educational and informative events presented by AGRA’s Professional Services Division. This division of Agra was established in 2009 with the main objective of providing a structured framework for rendering various specialised services to the Namibian agricultural sector and can be contacted through Marieta Grobler @ 061 290 9208 or email to advice@agra.com.na .

Issued By:                                Albé Snyman

                                                            Officer: Communications

                                                            Agra (Co-operative) Limited

                                                            Tel:      (061) 290 9273

                                                            Fax:     (061) 290 9250

                                                            Email: albes@agra.com.na

                                                www.agra.com.na