For centuries, it was widely believed that nature made the farming process easy and simple across the globe. Now, however, it appears that what obtains in one clime may be unavailable in another. For instance, crop farmers in the Zambezi Region of Namibia have provisionally suspended the plowing and planting of their crop fields due to a sustained dry spell characterised by a lack of rainfall and low ground moisture.
They say they are tired of the wait-and-see game because since the start of the year it has not rained – as a result the land is dry and they are left hopeless and desperate. A virtually dry November and rainless first half of December did not help the situation. Although there was a glimmer of hope when it started raining in mid-December, which encouraged farmers to start tilling their land, this was however short-lived.
Reflecting on the matter, one of the leading farmers in Zambezi Region, Alfred Tendekule from Samudono district, says he has suspended all plowing due to the absence of rains as he, like most subsistence farmers, relies on rain-fed agriculture, which depends on seasonal rains.
Tendekule stated that at the same time last year there was hope because it was raining, but now he has lost hope of seeing any rain, which is why he has stopped plowing. He said he measured the amount of rain in his field by this time last year and it was 28mm, but now it stands at zero”.
The subsistence farmer, usually trusted for his candor and antecedents, regretted that there is no chance that the crops he planted in the field will germinate, because the soil is dry.
