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Farmers

Building Resilient Farming Businesses in Namibia Amid Climate Change

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Farmers in Namibia face significant challenges due to climate change, including erratic rainfall, recurring droughts, and crop and livestock losses. To create resolutions that can transform their farming businesses into resilient enterprises, farmers are encouraged to implement coping strategies that can withstand the effects of climate change. Livestock farming, being the predominant business in Namibia, requires innovative approaches to ensure its sustainability.

Key Takeaways:

  • Farmers can create a reserve base for their most valuable livestock by dedicating 2 500 m2 (0.25 Ha) to grow perennial grasses such as Wool (Anthephora pubescens) and Blue Buffalo (Cenchrus ciliaris) grass.
  • Bush thinning for fodder production can be beneficial for livestock groups such as goats, which are browsers, allowing grazing areas to recover grazing values naturally.
  • Diversification offers a farmer multiple streams of income that can be used to sustain the main business enterprise, reducing the risk of relying solely on one source of income.
  • Farmers must realize the importance of saving for rainy days and plan their finances to reinvest profits back into the farm.
  • Constantly reviewing production and financial records is essential to plan for income generated and allocate funds towards key production objectives.
  • The acquisition of knowledge and skills is crucial for farmers to ensure productivity is maintained and to establish farming business ventures that can address market needs.

Statistics:

  • A reserve base of 2 500 m2 (0.25 Ha) can serve as a reserve base for a farmer's most valuable group of livestock.
  • 60% of the revenue from a livestock enterprise with 90 to 140 weaner calves per year should be saved for rainy days.
  • Farmers can save some of the profits from selling maize grains during years with a good harvest to reinvest in the business.

Sources:

BoN, (n.d.). NAMFIS Program for Farmer-mobilization. Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform.

Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, (n.d.). NAMFIS Program for Farmer-mobilization.

Namibia Media Center, (n.d.). NAMFIS Program for Farmer-mobilization.

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