Due to the ongoing drought, farmers in the Zambezi Region are counting their losses.

The region, whose residents heavily rely on agriculture for both consumption and commercial purposes, is worried about the prospects of their farming. 

Some residents of Maalo Village next to Lake Lyambezi say not only do they have to deal with wildlife damaging their crops, but a lack of rainfall also made things difficult this year.

The unemployed farmers who survive through farming say they will not get their return on investment.

Another farmer, James Sankwasa, expected 2,000 bags of maize from the 80 hectares of land.

"The solution to these things is that rural agriculture requires government subsidy because we need to convert to irrigation, and we can only do irrigation which requires infrastructures if you have got some finances to do that, unfortunately the financing of this country or the agricultural sector is only confined to commercial farming, now rural farming which is supposed to influence rural development is neglected, so if a field like this which was even far better than the fields around here has gone to this level of deterioration we don't expect anything, therefore, the entire country or region now depends on government handouts, we have to see how government is going to feed people, between now and next year March."

Sankwasa further advised that investments from the government in the agricultural sector have the potential to address the country's food insecurity.

"The government should look into the negligence with which they have neglected the Zambezi Region, which has more agricultural potential than anything else. This region has been neglected since independence; if the government had put more efforts into agriculture, this region would be capable of feeding the whole of Namibia."

He advised fellow farmers to plough for consumption on a smaller area instead of farming for commercial purposes.