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WINDHOEK Namibia (Xinhua) --
It was 11:30 a.m. and the sun was at its peak. Paulina Petrus
unbends as she picks up shrubs at her new resettlement farm land
in Namibia’s northern Otjozondjupa region, as she clears her
land out of excitement.
Petrus is one of the
25 farmers resettled onto 16 farming units in the Otjozondjupa
region, officially handed over this week by Namibia’s minister
of land reform Utoni Nujoma.
For a person who
equates sustainable and profitable farming against the war of
landlessness, she prayed to own a farm as it was limiting
sharing farm land with her big family, she recalled.
“I remember the time
I had to share a small plot with the entire family to produce
staple food to sustain their livelihoods,” she said. “I couldn’t
maximize on it.”
“I am therefore
grateful to be resettled and have my own farm. Now I can produce
more than I was able to do as we farmed on ancestral farm land,”
she said.
“Not only will I be
able to farm to sustain my livelihood, but I also plan on
farming at a commercial level,” she shared with Xinhua as she
revealed her plans for her new farm.
According to Nujoma,
the farming units allocated through the implementation of the
land reform program were of those publicized during August and
October last year.
“The target is for
resettled farmers to be food secure at household level and
ultimately sell local products at the agricultural hubs that had
been set up through ought the country and eventually export
within the region and internationally. Thus making a
contribution to the gross national domestic products,” said
Nujoma.
The national targets
are also in line with the farmers’ goals for their farms.
James Collins April,
another resettled farmer, said that, like Petrus, he too has big
plans for his newly acquired portion of land.
“I want to farm not
only with animal, but also crop production. I want to help
contribute towards the GDP of the country and I would focus on
job creation,” said April.
While the gift of
resettlement farms will contribute to improving the
socio-economic situation of Petrus and other farmers, Petrus
sees this as more than a resettlement.
“The allocation of
farms through the resettlement programme is an indication of
government’s commitment to address gender parity and women
empowerment,” said Petrus.
“It accords a 50/50
quota in terms of opportunities to men and women. It is
recognition that women have the same potential and are also
working hard, just like men. I want to show the men that as
women we are also capable of being productive,” said Petrus.
In the interim, as
the newly resettled farmers accept their gift of the farm lands
from government, Julius Neumbo, Chairperson of the Otjiwarongo
Regional Council called upon the resettled farmers to make good
use of the allocated farming units, and not to run them down as
in the case of those previously allocated farms.
“I give you a stern
warning. I will send the councilors to monitor the operations
and running of those farms and to ensure that you are
productive,” Neumbo warned. |
