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The USDA plans to bring some of the country’s agricultural projects under private control and increase production.
Applications for Ndonga Linena, Uvhungu Vhungu, Orange River Irrigation Program and Uvhungu Vhungu Dairy Project are currently under review and successful bidders will be announced shortly.
“As this process unfolded, the ministry, with public support, brought into production these plants that had been underutilized for many years,” said Agriculture Minister Calle Schlettwein.
The Green Scheme project was tendered between November and December last year.
His three other green programs – Shady Kongolo, Sikondo and Etanda – have not yet been tendered and remain in the ministry. The Green Scheme program will maximize irrigation opportunities in the central, northern and northeastern regions of the Kunene, Zambezi and Kavango rivers, and encourage agricultural projects in the southern region of the Orange, Naute, Hardap and Neckar valleys. is designed to dam.
Speaking with USDA officials yesterday, Schlettwein said a total of 776 hectares could yield an average of 7,000 tons of white his corn from the green program. He said this will allow him to double last year’s corn yields from Musese, Mashare and Shitemo’s green programs.
“If all goes according to plan, the yield of 14,000 tons, excluding small and medium-sized farm products, will exceed the current National Strategic Food Reserve, which has a production capacity of 11,000 tons,” Schlettwein said. said.
According to the minister, the domestic demand for white corn from April to December last year was 136,204 tons, of which 97,534 tons were produced domestically and 38,670 tons were imported. “The current good rains in the country, combined with the resurgence of green scheme projects, mean the country is moving towards self-sufficiency when it comes to white corn. I hope.”
He said land acquisition for the Neckartal Dam Irrigation Project was underway with more than 11,000 hectares acquired. The ministry also purchased two of his farms near the Neckar Gorge Dam totaling 11,177 hectares at a cost of N$5.7 million to enable the development of irrigation projects.
The Uvhunguvhungu Dairy Project was recently awarded a 25-year contract to a Namibian-Indian joint venture. Meanwhile, public tenders for three brownfield projects, Tandjieskoppe, Zone and Katima Liselo Green Schemes, have not attracted interest from the private sector.
“As the bids have not received a response from the market, re-bids for these projects are planned.In the future, further market soundings will be conducted to better introduce these opportunities to potential investors. ”he said Schlettwein.
The government has developed a total of 12 green scheme projects and plans to lease them to the private sector under build, operate, transfer and lease agreements.
A Swapo think tank report last year recommended that eight national green programs be allocated to local councils to manage them, create jobs and address food security.