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RUNDU – The Ministry of Agriculture, Waters and Forests, through the Forestry Directorate, has suspended the issuance of forest permits for harvesting, transporting, marketing and marketing. wood export.
Farmers in the eastern region of Kavango, one of the regions active in timber harvesting, reacted angrily to the decision.
Yesterday morning, farmers who went to the Rundu Forestry Bureau to ask for permits had a rude awakening when they were informed that the activities had been suspended.
Many of these farmers had already harvested wood that they could neither transport nor export because of the decision to stop the process.
"Please inform your customers that all activities related to wood are suspended. Therefore, they must not harvest, transport, market or export wood products (logs, blocks, planks) in order to avoid the confiscation of their timber, "reads the directive of the director of forestry, Joseph Hailwa
"This memo will inform all forestry officials that as of today, Monday, November 26, suspend all permits issued and stop issuing new licenses for harvesting, transporting, marketing and exporting timber. Namibian until further notice, "said a letter to Hailwa.
In recent weeks, multitudes of timber have been transported mainly from the two regions of Kavango, mainly for export to China.
Harvests, though sanctioned by traditional leaders, have raised questions about whether processes are sustainable and regulated. Farmers, however, claim that they are required to suffer losses especially on previously harvested timber that accumulates on their farms.
"We have already invested a lot in the harvest and hired and paid for trucks to pick up the wood. These trucks are loaded, but we are now told that we can not transport this wood and who will compensate us? "Said a farmer yesterday.
"These harvest permits were issued to us by the Forestry Bureau. We are harvesting legally and now we are going into debt because we have invested so much with loans that we have acquired to be able to use them in the harvesting process and to pay the workers in the hope of selling this timber and paying our loans. " . The letter also states that Ministries of Agriculture and the Environment are in discussion to find a sustainable solution for harmonization of producers and requirements for timber harvesting. Namibia.
In Kavango East, some farmers have entered into barter agreements with wood buyers to drill boreholes in exchange for timber, according to New Era.
Other farmers claim to have been paid at the start and have already used the money before their timber is collected by the buyers. In the absence of money to repay the buyers, the farmers say that they are now imprisoned in debt.
Farmers are asking the government to allow them to sell their stolen wood piles.
John Muyamba
2018-11-27 09:31:43 16 hours ago
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