Green Schemes Just two leased out after 7 months

■By Kaipaherue Kandjii

The agriculture ministry has leased two green schemes out of 11 announced by minister Calle Schlettwein in March this year as up for grabs for all and sundry with multi-millions to operate them efficiently.

Schlettwein invited investors during the Namibia Investment Summit in Dubai to lease out the severely under-utilised green schemes in the Kavango regions. The 11 green schemes are the Orange River, Hardap, Etunda, Musese, Sikondo, Uvhungu-Vhungu, Ndonga-Linena, Mashare, Shadikongoro, Kalimbeza, and Shitemo green scheme farms. Confidente has established just two green schemes – the Uvhungu -Vhungu Irrigation Project near Rundu town along the Kavango River and the Orange River Irrigation Project on the outskirts of Aussenkehr in the //Karas region.

Agriculture spokesperson Jona Musheko said the venture of Ndalikalimwe Investment CC, which is involved in a joint venture with an Indian firm – Zeuzer Enterprises, is leasing the Uvhungu-Vhungu for 25 years. Musheko also said Muadifam Enterprises took the Orange River Irrigation Project for 25 years. “The idea is not to privatise all the Green Schemes but rather to ensure continuity of food production whether through government funding, as is the case with most of them, or through public-private partnership arrangements. In addition, not all the Green Schemes will be privatised,” Musheko said.

High Costs Impediment In 2020, the National Council Committee on Urban and Rural Development visited the Shadikongoro, Ndonga Linena, Sikondo, Musese and Mashare green schemes in the Kavango Region. At the Shadikongoro Green Scheme, 390 hectares were declared suitable for production – 300 for commercial farming and 90 for small-scale farmers. The main crops grown at the scheme are white maize, wheat and sunflowers.

However, at the time of the committee’s visit, only 90 hectares had wheat and 16.7 hectares were planted by small-scale farmers, “further signifying the underutilisation of green schemes in the country.”

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