Releif food for the needy #namibia

Food aid for vulnerable households might be considered
from December until the affected households are able to
regain their normal livelihoods, the Early Warning and Food
Security June Report has recommended.
It further recommends reinforcement of food/cash-for-work
programmes in areas affected by food insecurity to target
households without access to land for cultivation and
livestock in order to provide them with a temporary safety
net.
In addition, these activities could be broadened to include
less labour-intensive activities such as gardening, fruit tree
planting and animal husbandry and extended to include the
rest of the country.
The production activities would improve access to micro-
nutrient rich fruits, which could greatly benefit the rural
poor and HIV-infected people
The Directorate of Research and Training as well as
Directorate of Extension and Engineering Services are
advised to consider the possibility of producing improved
seeds under irrigation for the next cropping season.
In areas affected by poor grazing conditions, farmers
should be advised to take the necessary precautionary
measures such as destocking while livestock are in good
condition to avoid unnecessary livestock losses.
The report states the 2013/2014 rainfall season showed
that most parts of the country received normal to above
normal rainfall, which is consistent with the rainfall outlook
for this season.
However, this analysis in the Early Warning and Food
Security Report for June does not take into account how the
rainfall was distributed and weather related anomalies.
In contrast, the north central regions reported below
average and poor rainfall performance, which according to
farmers has been sporadic, erratic and insufficient in the
first half of the season with serious prolonged dry spells in
January, and most of February thereby affecting both crop
production and pasture establishment. Crop estimates
showed an improvement in the 2013/2014 harvest, better
than last season but still below average for the communal
producing areas while commercial areas recorded a bumper
harvest.
An analysis of the 2013/2014 crop harvest estimates
indicates that most of the communal crop producing regions
recorded a better crop harvest this year, which is
significantly higher than last season but still below the
average harvest.
The below average harvest is mainly due to a general poor
rainfall performance coupled with bollworms.
National cereal aggregate production is finally forecasted at
136 700 tonnes, reflecting an increase of 68 percent higher
than last season's harvest, and 9 percent above the average
production.
Much of this improvement came from the commercial areas
where a bumper harvest was reported. Most parts of the
country reported good grazing conditions except the north-
central and north-western parts of the country where fair to
poor grazing conditions are reported following poor rainfall
performance in these areas.
At the time of this assessment, no major livestock disease
outbreaks were reported.
The households' food security situation is reported to have
improved following a recent main harvest since the
beginning this May.
However, this improvement, according to farmers, is still
below average and the current harvest is expected to last
between this coming December and the main harvest next
May.