6 May 2008
Windhoek — HUNDREDS of emerging commercial farmers have over the past nine months reaped the fruit of the Emerging Commercial Farmers Support Programme, which is jointly offered by the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) and the Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU).
About 553 farmers were reached through 13 farmers' days and information days offered by the programme, according to the latest NAU weekly newsletter.
A further 573 emerging farmers made use of the 15 short courses offered by the programme.
Ten mentors were appointed who gave daily assistance to emerging farmers in the various regions of Namibia.
This information was given at the recent steering committee meeting of the programme.
In addition, four of eight production manuals covering topics like rangeland management, large stock and small stock farming and crop production have now been printed and will be introduced at a gala event on 16 May.
Three other production manuals have been compiled and are currently being printed.
The Emerging Commercial Farmers Support Programme is financed by the European Union and runs until May next year.
Meanwhile, NAU President Raimar von Hase and the union's management will pay a visit to the new Minister of Lands and Resettlement, Alpheus !Naruseb, and Agriculture Minister John Mutorwa this week.
The aim of these visits is to discuss the NAU's viewpoints on land reform and agricultural matters with the newly appointed Ministers.
In the case of the visit to Minister Mutorwa, the NAU will mainly concentrate on the much-discussed Small Stock Marketing Scheme, where a change to the export levy system is still awaited.
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