Lameck eyes a bumper harvest

With her Mahangu crops having grown to knee-level, Anne-Nora Lameck from Oupili village in Ohangwena Region says she anticipates to get a bumper harvest this season.Weeding her crop field under the scotching hot sun, together with her relatives and neighbours, Lameck at the weekend shared some of her farming techniques which results to achieving a bumper harvest.Attributing much of a successful harvest to good rains, Lameck said that farming using the traditional methods is key.She went onto reveal that she does not plough her 10 hectare crop field with tractors but instead she uses oxen, the reason being she believes that the blades of the tractors bury the compost deep under the ground and resulting to poor yields.She also said that she does not use the modified seeds but she sticks to her traditional ones.Namibian Sun noticed some of the farmers in Lameck’s surrounding with crop fields that are yet to be ploughed something she said could be result of farmers waiting for good rains before they work on their land.As for her, she started ploughing on 12 November last year when they experienced the first rainfall.“I do not delay. When we received the first rainfall, I started ploughing. Although it was a risk, it has paid off and that is why we are already weeding,” Lameck said.She said that if good rainfall is experienced in the coming months she will achieve a bumper harvest.“This is likely to be the best bumper harvest compared to the others over the year,” she said.Lameck is among the few farmers in the country who sell their harvest to the state through the Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA).ProudLameck used to work as a communications officer at Namdeb before retiring.While other retirees would prefer to stay home and enjoy their pension, Lameck wanted to become a full-time farmer and contribute to the economy. Knowing that her Mahangu harvest is used to supplement government’s drought relief programme, Lameck said it feels her with pride.“It is a proud feeling knowing that my hard work feeds the nation,” Lameck said.Work hardLameck encourages farmers to work hard saying that it is not about the size of the land but the effort one puts into ensuring that you get the best possible harvest.“It is not about how big your Mahangu field. You can have a big crop field or even just a hectare. You must just work hard and you will have enough food for you and your family,” Lameck said.She also calls upon farmers who have not ploughed their crop fields saying that they must not delay any further.Looking ahead, in addition to crop farming, Lameck has ventured into poultry and other livestock enterprises. She raises a variety of chicken breeds, many of which are rare in the northern parts of the country. Lameck also keeps cows, goats, sheep and pigs, with the goal of expanding her livestock farming.kenya@nmh-hub.com.na

Lameck eyes a bumper harvest

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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Lameck eyes a bumper harvest

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Namibian Sun 2025-04-04

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