Agronomic and socio-economic assessment of the introduction of a rice-based mixed cropping system to the Cuvelai seasonal wetland system in northern Namibia

ABSTRACT In the semi-arid regions of southern Africa, around the borders of Angola with Namibia, the Cuvelai seasonal wetland system is formed by floods during the rainy season. The objective of the present study was to assess the effects of introduction of a rice-based mixed cropping system to the seasonal wetlands (ondombe in the local language) from agronomic, social, and economic perspectives. For this purpose, we used a simple methodology with a multidisciplinary approach for yield and household survey and scenario analysis in northern Namibia. The yield survey revealed that in ondombe, rice showed a higher yield performance than that of pearl millet and sorghum, even in a drought year. The farm household survey showed that introducing a rice-based mixed cropping to ondombe could help local farmers enhance crop productivity by reducing labour and providing high rice yield. In addition, scenario analysis based on the yield and household surveys conducted in these regions suggested that the introduction of the mixed cropping system to ondombe could compensate for one-fourth of the governmental urgent food import budget even in drought years. Therefore, this system is an effective option for sustainable agricultural production and environmental management in the studied region.