Poultry farming boost for Topnaars

Donation
The FOA donated 35 chickens, poultry farming equipment and products to two beneficiaries of the Topnaar community.
Adam Hartman
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) recently delivered two functional poultry structures, poultry feed, vaccines and 35 Lohmann Brown chickens to two beneficiaries of the Topnaar community east of Walvis Bay.

The donations are part of the FAO’s pledge made during last year’s World Food Day commemoration hosted in Erongo in the Topnaar settlement of Utuseb.

The two beneficiaries who received their donations at the beginning of this month are Elly Cloete (42) who resides in Utuseb, and Senador Anamab (38) who lives at Natab-two, located just a few kilometres from the Gobabeb Research Station in the Namib Desert.

The poultry scheme is intended to help beneficiaries earn a secure income through the establishment of a sustainable egg production enterprise designed to stimulate or supplement the growing need for eggs in small rural communities such as Utuseb.

Eggs are a rich source of nutrition for less fortunate individuals and households, which is one of the main reasons why the FAO was motivated to introduce the poultry scheme to the selected communities.

According to FAO Namibia communicator Phillipus Tobias, the organisation, in recognising the importance of poultry as a tool for poverty alleviation, food security and income generation, has so far availed poultry schemes at the cost of about N$85 000 to mainly women and youth-led agricultural initiatives in three rural areas at Tsumkwe (Otjozondjupa), Utuseb (Erongo) and Stampriet (Omaheke).

Anamab, a father of four, who earns his income from herding small stock belonging to residents in his area, expressed his joy at receiving the donation.

“I am very grateful for the assistance I received from the FAO because I can now supplement my meagre income from herding other people’s goats with the money I will receive from selling eggs.”

He plans to sell the eggs to staff and visitors of the Gobabeb Research Station, neighbours and nearby villages as well as Walvis Bay.

Cloete, who earns her income from selling broilers and fresh produce from her small garden, highlighted the fact that the chicken coop constructed for her will complement her existing chicken coop which she was struggling to expand.

"I am so happy to receive this support because for a long time my chicken coop was too small to house all my chickens. Now they can move more freely."

She added that the eggs derived from the poultry scheme will not only supplement her income but also supplement her and her family’s diet.

“The eggs will add more nutrients to our diets in addition to the fresh produce that we already derive from our garden,” she said.

The agricultural development centre at Utuseb will assist the two beneficiaries with ensuring that their poultry schemes are economically viable.

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Republikein 2024-11-23

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