Maize harvest at Linena delayed

THE first maize harvest at the Ndonga Linena irrigation project, which President Hifikepunye Pohamba visited yesterday, will be delayed due to the breakdown of a harvesting machine.
The project is situated 80 kilometres east of Rundu.

The big harvester combines into a single operation what previously had taken three separate operations like reaping, binding and threshing of maize. A new part has been ordered from Finland at a cost of N$10 000, and will take about three months to arrive.The first-ever harvesting at Ndonga Linena was doomed from the start, after it was first delayed for over two months due to persistent rain experienced early this year, according to project manager Hansie Opperman. Maize was planted on 213 hectares last October.That is estimated to yield a harvest of between 1 200 and 2 000 tonnes of maize.Opperman told Nampa he was now contemplating borrowing a combine harvester from the Uvhungu-Vhungu irrigation project just outside Rundu, so that they can continue harvesting.Opperman said so far, only about 25 per cent of the field had been harvested, and he was worried that further delays would negatively affect the winter crop planting of wheat, onions and potatoes, which was supposed to start last month.About 85 people from the surrounding area who would have been temporarily employed during the harvest are now unemployed. – Nampa