By Surihe Gaomas RUNDU The Government-initiated Green Scheme, the Ndonga Linena Agricultural Project in the Kavango Region, has hit a snag, as the 800-hectare farm that was once de-bushed is again turning into a forest. During a recent visit to the project, Minister of Lands and Resettlement Dr Nicky Iyambo said Government does not have money to start the second phase of allocating demarcated areas to prospective farmers. “The areas have been de-bushed since 2006, but the problem is when we talk of the Green Scheme, it appears it is a programme that is ready with a policy in place. But this is a vision project – there’s no infrastructure in terms of a building and equipment. Resources have to be made available to develop the land further,” explained Iyambo, noting that Ndonga Linena is the first Green Scheme initiative to be developed on a commercial basis. While two-thirds of the people employed at Ndonga Linena will comprise Kavango residents, the other one-third will be Namibians from other parts of the country. This would ensure that all Namibians benefit from the scheme. In view of this situation, government is looking for serious prospective investors in such a Green Scheme project that would ultimately pave the way for the country to be self-sufficient in food. Addressing residents at the Swapo Party star rally in Nkurenkuru on Sunday, President Hifikepunye Pohamba reiterated the importance that the agricultural sector plays in the overall socio-economic development of the country. For this reason, government established agricultural projects at Shadikongoro, Ndonga-Linena, Vungu-Vungu and several other places as part of the Green Scheme initiative. Government has decided to allocate N$300ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ million to Green Scheme Projects over the next five years for Namibians to produce their own food and create employment. “We need to have our people cooperate when agricultural projects are proposed for certain areas. We should agree with these projects because it is for our own welfare,” said President Pohamba. Currently, half of the 800-hectare piece of land (400 hectares) at the Ndonga Linena Project is ready for ploughing. All that remains is for suitable and serious partners to become involved. Recently New Era reported that the Green Scheme programme, as Namibia’s blueprint to attain food self-sufficiency, is not moving at a pace the government would have wanted. Although the programme has started – especially with projects in various areas – funding, land issues and confusion among some communities may delay the attainment of Namibia’s goal to put 27ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 000 hectares of land under irrigation in 15 years. A cost benefit analysis conducted in 2003 concluded that the programme would total over N$11,2ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ billion with costs to government, and the private sector being N$3.6ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ billion and N$7.4ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ billion respectively over 15 years. Having been discarded as a beneficiary of funds availed for the Millennium Challenge Account, the ministry has to rely on the development budget, which falls short of the funds needed to develop 27ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 000 hectares of land along the five perennial rivers of Namibia, namely: the Orange, Zambezi, Kavango, Kunene and Kwando.