The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) says most farmers are faced with severe forage scarcity due to the poor rainfall experienced this year. 

Speaking to nbc News, the union's Marketing and Public Relations Officer, Tanja Dahl, says the situation is expected to get worse as the normal dry season is setting in.

Dahl says there is a shortage of forage, and farmers are faced with the dilemma of how to keep their animals alive during these dry times. 

She noted that the current drought is very serious on the ground, as some farmers have not fully recovered from the 2019 drought and are now facing another one this year. 

"They only started to rebuild their herds, and now another drought is hitting us, so this is really a problem. One of the most urgent proposals is that the government declare the drought a national disaster. By doing that, drought mitigation measures would be simplified, and the process would be specified to assist the farmers in saving at least what could be saved, and the sooner we implement that, the better."

Dahl also revealed that the agricultural and farmers' unions recently had a sit-down with the Ministry of Agriculture to find ways to address the current drought situation in the country. 

"The drought incentive scheme, which is in place and was extended until March 31, was taken up and discussed by all three unions, and proposals were made to extend the drought assistance granted by the system even beyond March 31." 

She also advised that farmers develop drought-coping strategies to ensure their animals survive until the next rainy season.

"Mitigation advice has been shared by the NAU with its members; some of this is, for example, increasing slaughter capacity through Namibian producers and also the availability of fodder to round of markets for cattle and sheep."