Kavango farmers’ market headache despite bumper harvest

UVHUNGU VHUNGU – Small-scale farmers in Uvhungu Vhungu and surrounding areas say limited access to formal markets continues to hamper their efforts to earn a living, with surplus produce often going to waste.

While many farmers in the area do production to improve household food security, many have since expanded to generate income through the sale of fruits and vegetables. Yet, according to farmer and community leader Munkanda Angelica Ngonde, selling their produce remains one of the biggest challenges.

“We have reached a stage where we can produce enough food not only for our families but also for the market. The problem is finding reliable buyers for our products,” she said.

“I would say, like, for the past two to three years some of our watermelons, oranges and mangoes, to just mention a few, have gone to waste, as we could not get them in our local supermarkets,” she said.