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TOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: THE SECRET
OF LIFE IS NOT TO DO WHAT YOU LIKE, BUT TO LIKE WHAT YOU DO
In today’s newsletter –
·
Namibia Standards Institution (NSI)
·
Bank of Namibia held 14th
Annual Symposium
·
Dare to Care
contributes towards veld fire victims
·
FA and other news
Namibia
Standards Institution (NSI)
The
Manager: Research and Development of the NAU, Mr Wallie Roux, attended two
project meetings of the Namibian Standards Institution (NSI) this week. The first is a programme of import inspection
and market surveillance. The NSI is
developing a regulatory framework to administer compulsory standards and
technical regulations under the Standards Act of 2005 (Act No 18 of 2005), in
compliance with the WTO Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement and the TBT
Annex of the SADC Trade Protocol. The
aim of this programme is to ensure consumer health and safety, and the
protection of the environment on imported and locally manufactured
products. The second is a study to
analyse trade flows among and between the COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Member
States to identify and document any impacts that may have arisen from the
application of standards, technical regulations and Sanitary and Phytosanitary
(SPS) measures on selected products.
Bank
of Namibia held 14th Annual Symposium
The Executive Manager, Mr Sakkie
Coetzee, and the Manager: Research and Development, Mr Wallie Roux, attended
the 14th Annual Symposium of the Bank of Namibia. The theme of this year’s Symposium was
“Unlocking the Economic Potential of Communal Land”. Speakers at the Symposium included inter alia
the Minister of Lands and Resettlement, Mr Alpheus !Naruseb, the Governor of
the Bank of Namibia, Mr IpumbuShiimi, Dr John Mendelsohn, Dr Javier Escobal,
Prof Sam Moyo and Dr Wolfgang Werner.
Mr
Shiimi as the opening speaker said that Namibia consists of 38% communal land,
44% commercial land and 18% State land.
He mentioned that in the communal areas only 40% of income is derived
from subsistence farming, while 60% is derived from other sources, which
includes government pensions. Minister
!Naruseb pointed out that the land reform process is based on the principles of
the Land Conference that were held in 1991.
He further explained the registration of communal land rights, which are
transferable and being registered with the Deeds Office. Two types are registered, namely customary
land rights and leasehold land rights to secure tenure and to be a title for
access to finance.
The
other speakers debated whether a title deed in communal areas could lead to
increased productivity and access to credit.
They agreed that titling per se is no magic bullet to guarantee an
increase in productivity and access to credit.
Examples from Southern Africa were compared to the land situation in
Peru, South America, and the experiences were found to be similar. The way forward for Namibia would require a
reform process coupled with support measures to ensure an increase in
productivity from the land. This would
include a reform of the financial sector, like the introduction of the SME
Bank, to increase the access to credit.
These reforms would require more government interventions.
Dare to Care contributs towards veld fire victims
The Dare to Care Fund, a supporting
fund of the agricultural family which is administered by the NAU, made
contributions to persons and next of kin who were injured or died during veld
fires. Contributions include the costs of funerals as well as assistance to the
next of kin who lost bread winners in veld fires.
The Dare to Care Fund originally was established to
support victims of veld fires but later expanded to also assist victims of
other natural disasters such as floods. The fund is replenished from time to
time by mainly sponsored golf days. The next collection action which is
planned, is a golf day on May 23, 2013 at Omeya near Windhoek. People and
organisations who now already are
interested to take part and get involved, can contact Erika at Tel 061 237838, evg@agrinamibia.com.na.
We say
thank you
A hearty “Thank You” to all our fellow farmers, organisations (Witvlei
Village Council) and everybody who helped spontaneously at the veld fire at
Farm Saaleck on September 19 to extinguish the veld fire. Unfortunately
lightening in our vicinity again caused damages and we hope that early rains
will bring some relief – strength to everybody who is involved! Thank you very
much, Harald and Gisela Giess.
Thank you
Basjan Jacobsz, Herman Biewenga and Thomas Reiss would like to thank
everybody who assisted with extuingishing the veld fire north of Gobabis from
Friday, September 21 at 18:00 until Sunday, September 23 at 21:00. Your support
meant a lot to us.
A big
thank you
A VERY BIG THANK YOU to members of the Witvlei and Steinhausen Farmers
Associations, fellow farmers, neighbours, farm workers and all volunteers from
the community who helped to extinguish the big veld fire on the farms Mahagi,
Eindpaal, Hennopsrus, Hinterland, Hondeblaf, Vergelegen and Helder in the
Gobabis district the weekend from September 21 to 24, 2012. Your unselfish
sacrifices did not go unnoticed. The Human and Rossouw families (M C Human Snr,
Ben Human, Hannes Human, M C Human Jnr and Theron Human and Theuns Rossouw).
The
Livestock Producers Organisation (LPO)
Congress will be held on October 9 & 10 at the Arebbush Lodge, Windhoek
and the theme is „Animal health status for economic growth – Namibia
situation?“ Guest speaker is Dr Gideon Brückner from South Africa. The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) Congress
will be held on October 10 & 11 at the Arebbush Lodge Windhoek and the
theme is „A conducive environment for investment in agriculture“. Guest speaker
is Dr John Purchase from the Agricultural Chamber in South Africa. Keynote
speaker at the official opening of the Congress on October 10 is the president
of the NCCI, Ms Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun. On October 10 from 08:30 – 13:00 the
NAU Women’s Day will be held at the Vintage Coffee Shop, c/o Robert Mugabe and
Luther Str, Windhoek. Guest speakers are Ds Dirk Louw and Mr Manfred Janike.
A Dexter course will be held by Mr Willie
Grobler on October 6 at 08:00 at the Agra/Bank Windhoek Ring, Windhoek
Showgrounds. For further details contact Carina Jansen van Vuuren, Tel 067
312918, orpheus@mweb.com.na.
Steinhausen VA is holding a member meeting on
October 16 at 15:00 at Farm Steinhausen in the FA hall. Guest speaker is Dr
Ferreira of Virbac, South Africa and he will talk about BVD. For further
information contact Mayke Rumpf, Tel 062 561422, combumbi@iway.na.
Westelike Khomas FA is holding a meeting on October 17 at 15:00 at the
Harmonie hall. For further details contact Amanda Greef, Tel 064 551565, luanda@iway.na
The
Afrikaner Breeders are hosting an
information day on October 18 at 14:00 at Neudamm Research Farm. Speaker is Mr
Herman Duvenhage from the Afrikaner Breeders Association in South Africa.
Further details from Florence Hammn, Tel 060800 4708, flhamman@mweb.com.na
Karibib FA is holding ameeting on November 17
at 17:00 at Kaltenhausen. For further details contact Mrs Gladis, Tel 061
248480,helmut@hemconamibia.com
