The agriculture ministry says nearly all government green schemes are now under cultivation, with efforts underway to expand production and boost national food security.
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform spokesperson Simon Nghipandulwa on Friday said most government-run green schemes resumed active cultivation over the past two seasons and collectively produced over 10 000 tonnes of maize and other crops, like potatoes and sunflowers.
“Approximately 90% of the irrigable land across government green schemes is under cultivation, with plans to utilise the remaining hectares in the upcoming planting season.
“There is an ongoing feasibility study to provide holistic utilisation of virgin arable land at green schemes. This will allow the diversification of the schemes with various viable crop production,” he said.
Nghipandulwa said the ministry also plans to turn its brown field at Ekoka in the Ohangwena region into a green scheme, as well as to expand the cultivation area at the Uvhungu-Vhungu green scheme in the Kavango East region.
“To enhance operational efficiency and costs, hybrid solar energy systems are being installed at several green schemes, including Ndonga Linena, Sikondo and Etunda, to support sustainable irrigation and lower electricity expenses,” he said.
Nghipandulwa said investing in infrastructure refurbishment, new seed processing facilities and modern irrigation equipment to boost productivity is also a priority.
“The ministry’s long-term vision is for all green schemes to become more self-sustaining and operate as viable commercial farms.
“This would ensure that the schemes can generate their own revenue, create local employment, and contribute to national food security without long-term dependence on government subsidies,” he said.
The spokesperson revealed that operations have resumed on the Kalimbeza rice project in the Zambezi region, following the allocation of N$8 million to rehabilitate infrastructure.
While not all 150 hectares of land are under production, the farm harvested over 100 tonnes of rice during the latest season.
Nghipandulwa said a feasibility study is currently underway for the establishment of a sugar plantation next to the Kalimbeza rice project, along with a sugar processing plant at Katima Mulilo.
“Once implemented, these projects are expected to create jobs, promote rural industrialisation and reduce the country’s reliance on imported sugar,” he said.
Ndonga Linena green scheme manager Jano Rontel says the scheme plans to plant maize on 654 hectares of irrigable small-scale and commercial land.
He says the expected yield from the commercial part of the green scheme is 4 560 tonnes, while 1 218 tonnes are expected to be derived from small-scale farms at the green scheme.
“We did not have any challenges this season and we expect to start planning in the last week of October,” Rontel says.
He says they have already planted some green maize, watermelon and butternut, which will be ready by December.
The private operator of the Musese green scheme in the Kavango West region, Winni Metzger, says they planted maize, and irrigation has started using the solar power system, which he installed at the green scheme a few years ago.
Some years ago, government green schemes were being operated by the Agricultural Business Development Agency (Agribusdev), a state-owned company that was established in November 2011, with the objectives of monitoring and creating an ideal environment for achieving the objectives of the green schemes as outlined in the green scheme policy of 2008.
However, in 2021, after years of mismanagement at Agribusdev, the Cabinet gave a directive to the agriculture ministry to terminate Agribusdev as the operator of green schemes in Namibia, and that green schemes were to be returned to the ministry.
