Niël Terblanché
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) recently concluded a four-day performance review workshop in Oshakati, culminating in a visit to the Etunda Green Scheme Irrigation Project.
This visit aimed to familiarise the ministry’s management with various projects within the northern communal areas.
Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, the MAWLR’s executive director, emphasised the importance of exposing management to these projects.
“It was important to bring the managers here, most of them who are sitting in other regions, to see how other regions are faring and also those who are sitting in Windhoek, so that they know the impact of their decisions,” she said.
She explained that the importance of the managers visiting the site is to know the effect of delayed procurement decisions.
“The effect on the ground can impact the scarcity of food for our communities and our country. If they make decisions on time, we can contribute to our country’s food self-reliance, she said.
Etunda planted 210 hectares of wheat for harvest later in the year and harvested 180 hectares of maize, with an average yield of 8.7 tons per hectare.
The workshop brought together management from all 14 regions to review the major activities and performance of the first quarter of the current financial year.
It provided a platform for ministry officials to discuss strategies for improving service delivery and achieving sustainable development in Namibia’s agricultural sector.
During the workshop, Nghituwamata outlined significant progress in rural water supply and sanitation.
She indicated that the ministry constructed 12 new earth dams across Ohangwena (5), Oshana (4), Kavango West (2), and Hardap (1), three new pipelines, and rehabilitated three short pipelines.
The MAWLR also ensured the rehabilitation of 47 existing water points as well as the cleaning of 34 boreholes.
We connected a total of 815 private off-takes (POTs), drilled 146 new boreholes, and installed 82 of them.
Additionally, the construction of 94 sanitation facilities, mostly in Oshikoto (88), with additional facilities in Oshana (4) and Kavango East (2), contributed to a nationwide average of 91.75% coverage for potable water supplies.
Nghituwamata provided updates on the ministry’s agricultural initiatives, focusing on the operationalization of eight Green Scheme projects: Etunda, Musese, Sikondo, ORIP, Shandikongoro, Hardap, Uvungu-Vhungu, and Shadikongoro.
Sikondo harvested 75 hectares of maize, averaging 4 tons per hectare.
Ndonga Linena harvested 408.96 tons of maize from 60 hectares and planted additional crops, such as oats (33 hectares) and lucerne (10 hectares).
Progress was also noted at the Kalimbeza Rice Project, where seeds and fertilisers have been ordered to plant 50 hectares of rice while the redesigning process is ongoing.
She said that the ministry continues with animal disease surveillance and control and is also vaccinating 121 079 cattle against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in addition to 25 089 dogs and cats against rabies.
Additionally, 26 970 cattle were tagged with official ear tags by veterinary officials.
She said that on land reform, the ministry acquired three farms in the Omaheke, Otjozondjupa, and Kunene regions for resettlement.
The ministry also issued 14 lease agreements to resettled beneficiaries, registered 1 080 customary land rights, and 11 leasehold rights.
Efforts to address land grabbing included steps to terminate leasing agreements with non-compliant operators and remove unauthorised fences restricting community grazing land.
Nghituwamata stressed that the ministry aims to refine its strategies and enhance service delivery.
She said that the workshop and site visits have equipped officials with practical knowledge to make informed decisions that impact the ground.
During the visit to the Etunda Green Scheme, she said that the ministry is committed to sustainable development and improving service delivery across Namibia’s agricultural sector, ensuring the country’s self-reliance in food production and resource management.
