The drought conditions plaguing farmers across the country also affect Hardap Irrigation Scheme farmers, who have had water supply to their irrigation plots suspended this week.
This is due to critically low water levels in the Hardap Dam.
Producing wheat and lucerne and depending on the Hardap Dam for their water supply, farmers in the Hardap Region are looking to the skies, hoping for rain.
NamWater announced the decision to discontinue the water supply to the area to secure the water reserves for human and animal use.
The bulk water supplier projects that the Hardap Dam may run dry by as early as February next year unless sufficient rainfall is received before then.
"The position at the Hardap at the moment is that no irrigation farmer can put any crops on his fields. In other words, there is no financial income up until next year, December. In other words, this is a disaster," said a dejected Dawie De Klerk, Chairperson of the Hardap Irrigation Farmers Association.
The water shortage, he said, means a delayed planting season and may further result in workers being laid off.
"Job scarcity in Mariental will rise; obviously, the socio-economic impact of the layoff is tremendous."
De Klerk appealed for the lifting of a moratorium to keep the dam water level at no more than 70%, asserting that this was partly contributing to the dam's drying up.
The moratorium was implemented to prevent the Fish River from overflowing when the dam's sluices are opened, which holds the risk of flooding on the western side of Mariental.
Meanwhile, the Mariental Town Council is encouraging its residents to use water sparingly.
This week, some residents' taps ran dry in the town.
Acting Town CEO, Catherine Boois, blamed a burst pipe for the water crisis, which was resolved on Friday.
"Mariental will still have water for our daily needs and residential needs up until February 2026. But that does not mean we have to be complacent. We will, from now on, have to start actually instituting water-saving measures in our households."
The dam's current water level stands at less than 7%.