A shortage of water in the Oshikoto Region has unleashed devastating effects on humans, livestock, and projects.

Some residents are forced to travel long distances to buy water, both for their own consumption and for livestock.

Some villagers, such as Shikongo Mingeli from Omutsegwonime, still have no access to potable water.

The 85-year-old travels 40 kilometres to and from Omuthiya to buy water for consumption for his family and their livestock.

It is a costly exercise.

A team of veterinary experts is in the Zambezi Region on a fact-finding mission to establish the cause of cattle deaths in the flood plains of the region.

Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed hemorrhagic septicemia as the cause.

Hemorrhagic septicemia is a disease of water buffalo and cattle in tropical regions caused by specific serotypes of Pasteurella.

Farmers were advised to immediately vaccinate all their healthy cattle against Pasteurella, black quarter, botulism, and anthrax, as such diseases are common during the dry season in the region.

Farmers in Kabbe South in the Zambezi Region have suffered massive stock losses due to pasteurella, a respiratory disease.

Framers, particularly those from the Ikaba area of Zambezi Region, feel let down by the Directorate of Veterinary Services.

Farmers lost close to 260 cattle to pastereulla in recent times.

During a field trip to Ikaba, farmers we spoke to said they were left hopeless due to the outbreak.

The Governor of the Kavango West Region, Sirkka Ausiku, has called on the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Forestry to improve its procurement process to allow green schemes to run effectively.

Hausiku made the remarks when she visited the Sikondo Green Scheme.

Ausiku says she is happy with the progress at Sikondo Green Scheme and is optimistic there could be a bumper harvest if the ministry improves its procurement process.

Despite the good results, the manager of the green scheme, Maxwell Nghidinua, says the farm is faced with challenges.

There is a pressing need for Namibia to enhance stakeholder coordination to effectively achieve the targets set in the Malabo Declaration by 2025.

Namibia has managed to meet the targets outlined in the Malabo Declaration on only one occasion so far.

These points were raised during a workshop organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform and the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa.