Heavy rains destroy NCS maize at Divundu 

The Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) says  167 hectares of maize field were destroyed early this month by rain and wind storm at its Divundu centre.

According to NCS Commissioner General Raphael Hamunyela, the farm received 50mm of rain accompanied by a strong wind, sweeping through the area, and wreaking havoc on the infrastructure and crops.

“The damage occurred during a critical growth stage, leading to significant losses and potential disruptions to the farm’s agricultural activities for this season,” he said.

“Seven centre pivots measuring 166.7 hectares of maize which were scheduled for harvesting in April 2024, were negatively affected, leaving only 80.55 hectares viable for harvest. This unforeseen setback, caused by severe weather conditions, is a significant blow to our agricultural operations and rehabilitation programmes,” he added.

The Divundu Correctional Facility is a leading agricultural initiative of NCS, imparting agricultural skills for inmate rehabilitation and reintegration as well as to attain food self-sufficiency.

Hamunyela highlighted that NCS recognises the importance of transparency, adding that the facility’s management has already taken immediate action to assess the extent of the damage and implement measures to mitigate further losses.

“We are working diligently to mitigate the impact of this damage and ensure that we can still deliver on our commitment to food production and offender rehabilitation,” he said.

“Efforts are underway to repair the centre pivots and salvage what remains of the maize crop. The facility is also exploring alternative measures to supplement the lost production and maintain its contributions to food security and rehabilitation efforts of the Namibian Correctional Service.”

In January, NCS received a 450-metric tonne mobile storage facility from the United Nations World Food Programme to store maize and wheat grains, which are supposed to be processed into maize meal, bread and bread flour that can be distributed to other correctional service centres and some police stations.