New boats allow harvesting in Lake Liambezi

FARMERS in the Lake Liambezi area have received 10 paddle boats to help them rescue their crops in the eastern and western reaches of the lake.

According to the Hydrology Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Rural Development, the water in Lake Liambezi has expanded over about 70 square kilometres with swampy conditions in the north-west. This situation has made it difficult for farmers to harvest their crops, which especially on the eastern side, are planted deep within the lake.From an assessment a month ago, the Department of Hydrology estimated that more than 1 000 hectares of cultivated land was under water.Deputy Director of Education in the Caprivi Region Lovemore Lupalezwi said yesterday that the community were very happy to receive the fibreglass boats that arrived in the area on Sunday from the Regional Emergency Management Unit (Remu).To date, they were using traditional mokoros to harvest and transport their crops.He said a lot of crops could still be saved, especially those growing on small islands within the lake.It has been agreed that the farmers in the Muyako area on the eastern banks of the lake would use six of the boats, while those on the western side would use the other four.Lupalezwi said it was Government’s intention to also provide the farmers with trucks to transport their harvests to their homes.The boats he said would only be used to transport crops from deep within the lake to its banks, where already large bales of maize have been stacked.Usually farmers use oxen to transport their crops, but the swampy conditions now makes this impossible.With the lake not having filled for more than twenty years, farmers have become used to cultivating crops deep into the lakebed.The water level in Lake Liambezi has started dropping slightly after peaking nine days ago at Muyako.Although water has stopped flowing along the Bukalo Channel, there is still inflow from the south via the Chobe River.The Chobe River level as measured at Ngoma has dropped more than a metre over the past week to 3,21 m on Saturday.The water flow has slowed down to an estimated 50 cubic metres per second as the water reverts east.With much of the floodwaters having travelled south to the lake area, the Zambezi River has now receded to below the 3 metre mark as measured at Katima Mulilo and has shown daily decreases of about 0,06 centimetres since the beginning of the month.River readings over the past week indicate that the level is now in keeping with the same time last year.This situation has made it difficult for farmers to harvest their crops, which especially on the eastern side, are planted deep within the lake.From an assessment a month ago, the Department of Hydrology estimated that more than 1 000 hectares of cultivated land was under water.Deputy Director of Education in the Caprivi Region Lovemore Lupalezwi said yesterday that the community were very happy to receive the fibreglass boats that arrived in the area on Sunday from the Regional Emergency Management Unit (Remu).To date, they were using traditional mokoros to harvest and transport their crops.He said a lot of crops could still be saved, especially those growing on small islands within the lake.It has been agreed that the farmers in the Muyako area on the eastern banks of the lake would use six of the boats, while those on the western side would use the other four.Lupalezwi said it was Government’s intention to also provide the farmers with trucks to transport their harvests to their homes.The boats he said would only be used to transport crops from deep within the lake to its banks, where already large bales of maize have been stacked.Usually farmers use oxen to transport their crops, but the swampy conditions now makes this impossible.With the lake not having filled for more than twenty years, farmers have become used to cultivating crops deep into the lakebed.The water level in Lake Liambezi has started dropping slightly after peaking nine days ago at Muyako.Although water has stopped flowing along the Bukalo Channel, there is still inflow from the south via the Chobe River.The Chobe River level as measured at Ngoma has dropped more than a metre over the past week to 3,21 m on Saturday.The water flow has slowed down to an estimated 50 cubic metres per second as the water reverts east.With much of the floodwaters having travelled south to the lake area, the Zambezi River has now receded to below the 3 metre mark as measured at Katima Mulilo and has shown daily decreases of about 0,06 centimetres since the beginning of the month.River readings over the past week indicate that the level is now in keeping with the same time last year.