The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform is seeking consultant services for conducting a feasibility study for the second phase of the Neckartal irrigation project.
The consultant will further create a preliminary design, detailed design, tender documentation, contract administration and site supervision, as the Ministry seeks to allocate the 5,000 hectares of irrigable land into portions of small-scale, medium and commercial farming.
“We are still in the process of allocating the land, as the tender just recently closed in December 2023. The consultant will assist us in designing and making such demarcations,” the Ministry’s spokesperson, Jona Musheko, said in response to the progress made at the N$5.6-billion facility.
In addition, he said the Ministry has managed to acquire a total of 19,000 hectares, where support infrastructure for water distribution will be constructed, including value chain activities such as feedlots, cold rooms, and intensive animal farming, as well as for resettlement purposes.
Earlier in 2023, Minister Calle Schlettwein said N$10 million was budgeted for under the 2023-2024 financial year towards the commencement of irrigation activities, whereas the full implementation of the irrigation project will require over N$2 billion.
Neckartal Dam, with a capacity of 857 cubic litres of water, was constructed between 2013 and 2018, to enhance food sustainability for the people of the south, while also promoting food sufficiency and eventually creating employment.
