Hopes wither away as Northern farmers experience low rainfall volumes

ONDANGWA, FEB 13 – Northern farmers in Oshana, Omusati, Ohangwena and Oshikoto are beginning to lose hope for better harvests, as those regions is slowly plagued by low rainfall volumes.

According to some farmers, there were hopes of a good harvest after it started raining during the first week of February, but after sporadic rainfall, hope began to wither away as a harsh reality set in.
Despite some of the farmers this week saying that they had received recent showers it still brings no hope for good harvest, come the harvesting period.

Some subsistence farmers in the Ongwediva Constituency fear they might have a bad harvest this year due to poor rainfall.
Lukas Peter is among the farmers who ploughed his mahangu field this week in hopes that the rains would come, relieving his pockets from spending on food throughout the year.

Reports released by the Hydrological Services Namibia on Tuesday indicated that good rain had been received in the Kavango and Cuvelai catchment areas in Namibia and Angola respectively.

According to the HSN, the Zambezi river level at Katima Mulilo increased by 2cm and is currently at 1.35m, despite the water level remaining lower compared to last year.

While the Okavango river level at Rundu continues to rise rapidly with an increase of 5cm and currently at 4.76cm.

“Water level at Rundu is lower than those of the same period last year,” read the report. Meanwhile, the Fish river level at Tses recorded 0.46m yesterday morning. – NDN Staffer

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