The hopes of many crop farmers in the Ohangwena region for a successful harvest have been dashed due to floods from Angola that have partially submerged their mahangu fields.
Subsistence farmers interviewed by nbc News expressed optimism earlier this season, noting that the rain seemed promising and they anticipated a bountiful harvest. However, with significant damage to their mahangu fields caused by flooding, that expectation has now shifted.
The news News team spoke with affected farmers from Onamhinda and Ouhongo villages, who shared their dismay at witnessing their fields submerged.
They highlighted the rising costs of tractors and seeds, lamenting that their investments in preparing the fields now seem wasted, which is a distressing situation for them.
Farmers typically expect that their efforts in ploughing will yield sufficient food for personal consumption and generate surplus income. However, the unpredictable nature of climate change has complicated these expectations.
While many areas in northern Namibia have received beneficial rainfall, the situation worsened when a flood wave struck on April 1, following heavy rains in southern Angola, further damaging crops.
Hambeleleni Mumwoye from Ouhongo village is particularly concerned about her submerged mahangu crop. "We will not have anything from our fields. Our mahangu is underwater, and when the water recedes, the crops will be completely ruined. I think we will need government assistance. We are grateful for the rain, but this flooding has brought significant disadvantages as our crops are spoiled."
Hambeleleni Nghinamanu from Onamhinda added that the flood has forced them to evacuate their homes to higher ground, as their homesteads are also surrounded by water.
"On the 2nd of this month, we woke up to find our field filled with water. Our mahangu was growing well, but to our surprise, some are now completely submerged. This situation has compelled us to start harvesting mahangu that is not yet ready and store it in our neighbors' houses on higher ground; otherwise, we risk losing everything."