The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has revealed plans to turn its 140-hectare brownfield at Ekoka village in the Ohangwena region into a green scheme project.
The ministry says it is currently conducting water surveys and soil sampling.
Ministry spokesperson Simon Nghipandulwa last week told The Namibian the planned green scheme will be irrigated with water from boreholes.
According to Nghipandulwa, water surveys are being conducted to establish boreholes for the project, which will not only boost food production but will also create employment opportunities and ensure surrounding communities benefit directly from agricultural produce.
A team from the ministry’s directorate of agricultural production, extension and engineering services is also on site conducting soil sampling and other technical assessments to advise management on the way forward for the project to become fully operational
When she visited the site in August this year, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform executive director Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata said the move was in response to the directive issued by president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah this year that the government should acquire and expand more land for agricultural production.Some years ago, government green schemes were being operated by the now defunct Agribusdev to monitor and create an ideal environment for achieving the objectives of the green schemes.
However, in 2021, after years of mismanagement at Agribusdev, Cabinet gave a directive to the agriculture ministry to terminate Agribusdev as the operator of green schemes in Namibia and that green schemes be returned to the ministry.
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