He says it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage crops in the Oshikuku constituency with low prices.
Farmer Sabas Thaddeus called on the authorities to help them. Thaddeus has heard the government’s call for him and many other farmers to contribute to food security, but the cost of managing a crop is too high.
He acknowledged the government’s contribution through the Ministry of Agriculture, which provides technical assistance to the fruit and vegetable development project, but said more needs to be done if Namibia succeeds in producing its own food.
Speaking from the ground, he said he was saddened to see so many tomatoes being wasted, even though he had a lot of tomatoes. He spends a lot of money on maintenance, but he does not get much out of it because it is frustrating.
“I harvest a lot of tomatoes, but a lot of them also go to fruition, because they are infested with fruit worms, and I can’t find the most effective pesticide,” he renewed. In three months he spent about N45,000 on pesticides alone for tomatoes.
One liter costs about N5,000, and must be sprayed at least after the second day for effective protection.
In addition to the huge costs, subsidies from the Ministry of Agriculture are often delayed, discouraging farmers from participating in the plan. “The process is very long. Sometimes it can take up to a year before you receive your application. This must be seen again. ” Ministry of Agriculture spokeswoman Yona Mueko advised farmers to ask for money immediately before applying.
Sometimes farmers say they have already run out of budget and have to wait until next fiscal year. “It’s a double-edged sword. In other cases, the farmer struggles to pay the supplier after the ministry has paid for it, ”he said.
Tadewos is urging the Ministry of Agriculture to allow farmers in the horticulture sector to use government-subsidized tractors throughout the year. “Sometimes, you only need a pirate to turn your soil around this time of year, but you need to wait for the harvest season before you can be helped.
This needs to be reconsidered. ” Moeko said the idea was good, but the ministry did not have enough tractor ships. After the farming season, the Ministry said that before the next plow season, there will be safe parts for tractors that need service and maintenance.
He said that if we make the tractors accessible all year round, we could face problems during the rainy season.
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