Epukiro Constituency Councillor Pineal Pakarae has expressed admiration for the Otjimati farming communities for working toward addressing food security at household levels despite the enormous challenges they face.

He said the communities have managed to beat the odds against years of droughts, poisonous plants and water shortages, amongst others.

Pakarae pointed out that Otjimati residents have also shown a strong desire and dedication to improving the genetics of their livestock.

The councillor added that the Otjimati farming communities should work hard and become valuable players in the value chain process of their agricultural products.

Pakarae called upon relevant key stakeholders to support such initiatives to reach optimal levels.

"Moving from the kraals to the table, our Black farmers have the opportunity to do so, especially with the upcoming farmers, and are now eager to market their products via social media. It shows that we can compete with our white counterparts, as they have been in the business before, and my encouragement is that let's make sure that we push up to the end because that's where you can fetch the lucrative market; it's where you can turn around and build the business with sustainability for the future and become profitable as well."

The village headman, Katjinduu Tjahuha, stressed that the Otjimati agricultural show has grown in terms of the livestock quality, although the journey had not been an easy one.

He said that with the needed support, agriculture will continue to be one of the key sectors that will contribute largely to the country's economy.

"It looks like Otjimati village has become very successful when it comes to this event; if one can look at the number of participants and the quality of livestock at this event, I think in the near future we will rename this event from being a mini show because it's growing."

Vakuasana Mujoro from the Eiseb area commended the Otjimati farming communities for bringing local farmers together to exchange ideas and showcase their livestock.

"This event has significantly impacted my life because I love livestock. It is a great event that adds value to our animals, plays a crucial role in our livelihood, and allows us to exchange ideas with others; therefore, it is very important."

Isak Hange, a member of the event's executive committee, emphasised that the show had been established to remind local residents that they had a critical role to play in the agricultural sector.

Hange said the show is a distinct platform for marketing farmers' products.

"To my fellow residents, I would urge them to keep up with the good work, and let's move this event to greater heights. To our neighbours, one would also ask them to provide much-needed support, and this will assist with eradicating poverty and removing young people from the streets. And pleading to the young people, anything starts small; let's make use of our hands to make a living."

The Otjimati agricultural mini show has been in existence since 1996.