Stop the blame game: Iyambo

THE Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr Nickey Iyambo, has urged black and white farmers to co-operate in the interest of economic development.

“Our thoughts must not dwell on the past forever, otherwise we will lag behind in economic development,” Iyambo warned. He said this when addressing farmers, traditional leaders and Government officials at Keetmanshoop during a week-long familiarisation tour of the Karas Region.Iyambo also told them that the Green Scheme would become operational at the end of the year.He stressed that only skilled people would be allowed under the scheme.”The time has come that Namibians must wake up instead of blaming others.”Small farmers would be granted up to 20 hectares of land under the Green Scheme, while business people would qualify for 100 hectares.However, all investors would operate on the same principles, the agriculture minister noted.”Let’s start small and grow bigger,” he said.Iyambo said the implementation of the scheme had been delayed by the transfer of the assets of the Namibian Development Corporation (NDC) to the Namibian Development Bank.He said this when addressing farmers, traditional leaders and Government officials at Keetmanshoop during a week-long familiarisation tour of the Karas Region.Iyambo also told them that the Green Scheme would become operational at the end of the year.He stressed that only skilled people would be allowed under the scheme.”The time has come that Namibians must wake up instead of blaming others.”Small farmers would be granted up to 20 hectares of land under the Green Scheme, while business people would qualify for 100 hectares.However, all investors would operate on the same principles, the agriculture minister noted.”Let’s start small and grow bigger,” he said.Iyambo said the implementation of the scheme had been delayed by the transfer of the assets of the Namibian Development Corporation (NDC) to the Namibian Development Bank.