The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Ruth Masake, has encouraged farming communities in the Omaheke Region to embrace continuous improvement in livestock breeding.

Masake was speaking at the 5th annual RiVeKa livestock production auction at Okorukambe.

Masake stressed that investing in quality genetics will bring about healthier herds, higher market returns and long-term sustainability. 

The deputy minister added that the RiVeKa initiative carries the potential of being a cornerstone of livestock improvement in communal and emerging farming communities by producing quality livestock.

"I am especially impressed by the vision of RiVeKa to bridge the genetic gap between communal livestock and elite commercial stud breeding. This is not just about improving herd quality; it is about uplifting livelihoods, increasing profitability and ensuring inclusive growth in our livestock industry."

The Chairperson of the RiVeKa livestock team, Rijamekee Uremena, pointed out that it has not been an easy journey to acquire quality bulls to improve livestock genetics.

"Every day we have been thinking, What are we going to do to add value to our livestock as prices are not good? Hence, we came up with a dream and later put this into practice; hence, this is how we came up with Riveka."

Omaheke Governor Pijoo Nganate said Riveka will promote interregional trade that will unlock wider markets and opportunities. 

"I'm happy that Riveka started as a dream and turned into a nightmare because there are things that are keeping us awake, and things like poverty – we cannot be comfortable, and nightmares are making us very uncomfortable, as they are making us worried, making us work on new plans, and this helps us to overcome these challenges."

The RiVeKa livestock production team will also share proceeds from the sale of two heifers to be donated to Gustav Kandjii Secondary School in Otjinene and Epukiro Post 3 Secondary School after their good academic performance last year.