A newly released report by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform has recommended that the government declare a drought a national emergency.

This follows the effects of drought findings across the country due to low rainfall.

The assessment was conducted in the seven major northern communal drop-producing regions between February 12 and March 11 this year. 

Maize, millet, sorghum, and wheat are estimated to be 53% lower than the last season's harvest. 

A lecturer at the University of Namibia's (UNAM) Environmental Science Department says despite legislation on improving the benefits for Namibian producers from natural resources, the actual sharing of the benefits remains unsatisfactory. 

Ndapewa Nakanyete said this during her research presentation on Rich Resources from Poor Communities: An Analysis of Namibia's Access and Benefit-Sharing Legislation at the first Spain-Namibia Climate Forum held in Windhoek on Monday. 

Hundreds of hippos are stranded and trapped in the mud waters along the Chobe and Linyanti rivers in the Zambezi Region.

The river received low rainfall this year compared to previous years.

Most parts of the Chobe and Linyanti rivers bordering Botswana and Namibia's Zambezi Region have started drying up due to insufficient rainfall.

In previous years, the Chobe River got inflows of flood water; this year, the situation is different. 

The Namibia Fish Consumption Promotion Trust (NFCPT) has embarked on an innovative strategy to enhance fish distribution across the country. 

The trust has signed contracts with 13 small and medium enterprises to facilitate the distribution of fish to consumers at affordable prices.

The 13 SMEs, selected from a pool of trained entrepreneurs, are part of a 6-month Distribution Agency Pilot Project. 

This project marks a shift in the trust's approach, aiming to collaborate with stakeholders in the fish distribution sector rather than competing with them.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Investment Fund (EIF) says there is a need to unlock a grant investment model that can sustain environmental projects for communities beyond their funding cycle. 

Benedict Libanda said this during an information-sharing session at the Government Information Centre.

Libanda says at least 35% to 40% of the environmentally sustainable projects for communities funded by the EIF face sustainability challenges. 

The Executive Commissioner for Agriculture at the Ovaherero Traditional Authority says farmers need to ensure the optimum health of their animals for them to produce more.

Dr. Baby Kaurivi-Katunahange said this during a livestock health education meeting at the HereroFest in Okahandja. 

Dr. Kaurivi-Katunahange noted that it is important to keep animals healthy to improve production and reproduction.

Recurrent drought and locust outbreaks continue to impact smallholder farmers with agriculture-based livelihoods, making them vulnerable to food insecurity and undernutrition.

While nearly 70% of the Namibian population depends on agriculture, the 021 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report indicated that 26% of Namibia's population faces acute food insecurity.

30% of the population faced acute food insecurity during the period from December 2021 to March 2022. 

The Agricultural Bank of Namibia (AgriBank), through its Agri Advisory Services Division, conducted a mentorship workshop for its clients at Mariental in the Hardap Region. 

The programme was established to provide structured mentorship and training services to clients of Agri Bank Namibia, who mostly consist of communal and commercial farmers who had been provided with loans and agricultural equipment over the years. 

AgriBank recently introduced a stakeholder complaint handling policy aimed at guiding the bank in the handling of complaints from clients and the public. 

The late rains towards the end of March have left farmers doubting the survival of their farming enterprises.

On top of the late rains, farmers are unhappy with the rock-bottom prices they receive for their livestock at auctions. 

The nbc News team engaged some farmers in the communal areas of the region.

A seasonal farmer in the Epukiro Constituency, Charles Nguvauva, told nbc News team that this year started off badly as their earth dam was drying up. However, the area recently received close to 200 millimetres of rain.

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.