OTA plans to produce sufficient food for drought season

OMUTHIYA: Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA) spokesperson Enkali Frans said they are planning to maximise their harvest by growing maize meal to assist their people during the drought season. Frans in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday said it is only the government that tries to assist the nation when disaster strikes, hence the need to plan to reserve some food for difficult times. 'We want to contribute to food production in our country and we have experienced from the past that it costs us a lot when there is insufficient food, during a disaster. During this rainy season, we want to make sure that we plant enough maize on our piece of land and do proper agricultural work so we produce enough maize,' Frans said. The traditional authority he said, currently does not receive any financial income from the government so they sell some maize at a lower price to bring in some capital to run its administration, including paying for their workers. Frans further pointed out that they do not get enough from th e village houses payment of N.dollars 20 every year. 'This harvest will not only benefit the Oshindonga-speaking people but also those who came to settle in Ondonga,' he said. He stated that they want at least two more pieces of land to add to the 100 hectares they have in Omuthiya, in the Oshikoto region to produce more food and at the same time create more job opportunities for the youth in the Agricultural sector. He encouraged members of the community to venture into agricultural activities to reduce the import of food. Source: The Namibia Press Agency