By Staff Reporter
A maize farmer Mr. Fred Mwabi was awarded a trophy, certificate plus farming equipment from the Namibia Agronomic Board this month.
The Zambezi Dry land Maize Champion was awarded to Mr.Mwabi during an agricultural show which recently held during Katima Mulilo Trade Fair and Agricultural Show in Katima Mulilo.His award is totalling to the value of N$ 16 000.00. The prizes and certificates were awarded to him at this year Zambezi Bream Festival.
The criteria used during assessments were, amongst the extent to which producers manage their farms to maximise their yield. Such practices typically include introducing fertilisers to their farming practises and where possible how modern farming practices are incorporated into their production processes, how financial management systems are used in the farming practice to assist the producer in achieving maximum yield and how they’ve introduced crop diversification.
All these improvements have the potential to aid the farmer in producing a surplus crop that can be sold and entered into the food supply chain, contributing to food security in Namibia.
The Namibia Agricultural Board, Chief Executive Officer Mr. Christof Brock thanked the small farmers who grow white maize in the region for the yield harvest. “I would like to congratulate the small scale producers of the Zambezi Region for this year’s record harvest of between 6 000 and 7 000 tons of white maize that will be marketed,”
Mr. Brock acknowledged the region for having small scale farmers who produced a good harvest. He was said this during the gathering at the Zambezi Bream Festival and Cultural Expo.
“Mr Mwabi has a very good understanding of how to nurture his crop, including the use of fertilisers and pesticides and how to maximise the capture of rain in his field so that the soil retains as much water as possible.” Mr Hannes Grobbelaar of the Agronomic Producer’s Association (APA) commended the 2014 winners Mr. Mwabi.
Mr Grobbelaar, a commercial white maize producer and mentor to many small scale producers in the Zambezi Region, is a member of the APA, previous Member of the Namibian Agronomic Board and one of the evaluators of this competition.
He further commended Mr Mwabi’s plant population and the quality of the maize that comes from his fields, “what he has achieved is very impressive,” said Mr.Grobbelaar.
Also in attendance at the Zambezi Dry land Maize Champion award handover was the large scale commercial Master Agronomist for 2014, Mr Andre Compion.
Meanwhile, at the same occasion Zambezi Regional Champion Mahangu Farmer title was awarded to Mrs Catherine Sikanda who cultivates 5 to 10 hectares of Mahangu. Mr. Christopher Kasuka who cultivates more than 10 hectares of mahangu was also awarded.
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