Maria David and Placido Hilukilwa
THE satisfactory mahangu yield in the northern regions this year is being spoiled by thieves who steal mahangu heads from the threshing floors.
Crop farmers are reporting that their mahangu heads are being stolen from the threshing floors where they are placed to await threshing.
The phenomenon is relatively new, with only a few isolated cases having been reported during past seasons, but there is a marked increase this year.
Traditional leaders and local political leaders have confirmed the phenomenon. Councillor Daniel Iilende of the Ogongo Constituency in the Omusati Region lamented the theft of mahangu and is urging the thieves to stop, while encouraging farmers who fall victim to report the incident for immediate police action.
During the harvest, mahangu heads are collected from the fields and placed on a threshing floor where they are threshed and winnowed before being stored.
The process takes weeks, and the threshing floors are normally located on the edge of the mahangu fields, far from the homestead—making it easy for thieves to sneak in and steal the crops in the dead of night.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Contributed
