25 November 2008
THE Agricultural Training Centre Krumhuk will open next year about 20 kilometres south of Windhoek.
It will be accommodated in the buildings of the former Aris Hotel.
The new facility was the brainchild of Ulf-Dieter Voigts, owner of Krumhuk, and was established by the Windhoek Farmers' Association and private supporters.
The German government and several local and international donors made the project possible.
According to the weekly newsletter of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), the first course with 25 students will start in February next year with an introductory course of three months.
Afterwards the 12 best students will complete a two-year course.
Students must be between 18 and 25 years of age and must have been in school up to Grade 10 and should have a reasonable knowledge of the English language.
"The very practical training for communal, commercial and emerging farmers will include vital subjects such as herd, rangeland and financial management, animal health, horticulture, agronomy, technical aspects, processing of agricultural products, sport and culture," the NAU newsletter said.
Application forms for enrolment are available at the offices of the NAU, Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU) and the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers' Forum (NECFF).
AgriBank loans for de-bushing frozen AGRIBANK loans for the de-bushing of farms are frozen for the time being and will be made available once the subsidisation of the interest rates for such loans has been cleared with Government.
AgriBank recently announced several reductions in interest rates on loans for farmers.
In the same vein, the bank informed the public that it would offer loans for de-bushing, since bush encroachment seriously hampers livestock farming and crop production.
According to the weekly newsletter of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), AgriBank informed stakeholders in the agriculture sector that no such loans could be taken out until Government had finalised the issue of subsidised interest rates.
Invader bush species develop a large root system through which they tap virtually all the water in their vicinity, preventing it from replenishing underground water levels.
National Stock Theft Committee (NSTC) meets THE National Stock Theft Committee met last week and the Police gave feedback about stock theft statistics from January to August 2008.
These statistics show a slight decrease in stock thefts, according to the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU).
The necessity of Crime Prevention Forums and the resulting better co-operation and support amongst the Police and local communities were discussed, according to the latest NAU newsletter.
Christmas shutdown of Meatco abattoirs MEATCO has announced the dates of the seasonal shutdown of the company's four abattoirs in the country over the festive season.
The Windhoek abattoir already closed last week on November 18 and it will only re-open on February 2 2009.
The Okahandja abattoir will close on December 17 and re-open on February 5 next year.
The Oshakati abattoir will close on December 2 and re-open on February 2.
Meatco's abattoir at Katima Mulilo abattoir was closed several months ago due to foot-and-mouth disease in the area.
"Farmers are reminded that Meatco will subsidise the transport costs of those meat producers who usually slaughter at Windhoek and who will now have to transport their animals to Okahandja for slaughtering during this temporary shutdown of the Windhoek abattoir," Meatco said in a statement at the end of last week.
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