The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform says it is seeking an 84% budget boost to bridge the budget shortfall, with N$400 million urgently needed for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
This comes as only N$65 million has been allocated to agriculture for the 2024-2025 financial year, representing a mere 16% of the required funds and a 54% reduction from the last allocation of N$120 million.
The Ministry’s Deputy Minister Anna Shiweda stated that the allocated funds cover the Etunda Irrigation Project’s development and a total overhaul of green schemes, ensuring their uninterrupted operation for the next 15 to 20 years.
“During the 2024-2025 financial year, an amount of N$65,000,000 has been allocated to the Green Scheme Projects including the Neckartal Dam Phase 2 Irrigation Project. I would like to draw the attention of the Honourable Members that to optimally intensify production at the Green Scheme Projects, a total of N$400,000,000 is still required during the 2024-2025 financial year,” said the Deputy Minister.
The Green Scheme Programme aims to maximise irrigation in Namibia’s Central, Northern, and North-Eastern Regions using rivers like the Kunene and Zambezi, and promote agro-projects in the South with dams such as Naute, Hardap, and Neckartal.
Similarly, its goal is to boost food self-sufficiency, increase crop production, create jobs, and enhance agriculture’s GDP contribution.
“Therefore, there is a need to allocate more funds for the operation of these Green Schemes while at the same time fulfilling its mandate to support Small Scale Farmers at the project and Subsistence Farmers in the vicinity of the project, thus creating employment and improving the livelihoods of the communities,” said Shiweda.
The initiative expands irrigated land through infrastructure upgrades and new projects like the Zone in the Kavango West Region.
Last year, Shiweda noted the N$120,000,000 was used for repairing aging irrigation infrastructure, procuring new tractors and implements, and acquiring production inputs.
“It is pertinent to underscore that the Green Schemes were transferred back to the Ministry in a dilapidated state and require substantial recapitalisation to bring them back to full production,” she added.
During the last financial year, the Ministry resuscitated the Sunflower Production Project by planting 40ha at Sikondo and Shadikongoro Green Schemes to be processed at Shadikongoro Oil Processing Plant in the coming weeks.
“These projects are envisaged to grow by accommodating out-growers from neighbouring communities to contribute to sunflower oil production,” she said
Meanwhile, concerning the Neckartal Dam Phase 2 Irrigation Project, the Ministry acquired 19,137ha of land at the cost of N$19,000,000.
“So far, 500ha is ready for development. To this end, the Ministry is procuring consultancy services for the design and development of the irrigation system for the 500ha which is in the immediate proximity of the Dam,” she said.
