Green schemes sprout again

Green schemes sprout again

SWAKOPMUND – The Green Scheme projects, once labelled white elephants, are now experiencing a remarkable resurgence and bouncing back after a three-year period of dormancy.

The government owns 11 major Green Schemes across the country, including the Orange River, Hardap, Etunda, Musese, Sikondo, Uvungu-Vungu, Ndonga-Linena, Mashare, Shadikongoro, Kalimbeza and Shitemo projects.

Following a Cabinet decision, the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) took over the schemes in 2022 to stem their poor performance.

Speaking at a ministry review workshop in Swakopmund recently, agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein said the schemes had been inactive for several years before government’s intervention.

“As you are aware, most, if not all, of these projects were dormant for three years, from 2019, before we took over in 2022. As a result, much of the equipment and infrastructure had become obsolete, requiring substantial recapitalisation to revive production,” he said.

Schlettwein confirmed that all State-managed schemes are now operational, with both winter and summer crops flourishing.

“While we have not yet reached full capacity, significant progress has been made. Across the 800 hectares under cultivation, some schemes are operating at about one-third of their potential, while others are performing slightly better. The progress is evident, demonstrating that the Green Schemes are valuable investments towards achieving food self-sufficiency,” he noted.

The minister emphasised the vital role of small-scale farmers attached to the schemes, many of whom had previously struggled due to a lack of support.

“I am pleased these farmers and their families are actively contributing to national food production,” he added.

As the Green Schemes work towards full production, Etunda harvested 210 hectares of wheat, with an average yield of four tonnes per hectare. For the summer season, 210 hectares of maize have been planted, with another 240 hectares expected to be planted at the project by February 2025. 

Sikondo planted 120 hectares of wheat during winter, harvesting an average of six tonnes per hectare in October. This summer, 114 hectares of maize were planted, with a further 300 hectares to be planted, while the Musese project planted 90 hectares of maize, involving nine small-scale farmers.

Meanwhile, Uvhungu Vhungu planted 147 hectares of maize, along with one hectare of butternut, and 0.3 hectares of green pepper. Shadikongoro will plant 300 hectares of maize. 

The Hardap Scheme planted 10 hectares of lucerne, out of a planned 80 hectares, due to water shortages in the Hardap Dam. Schlettwein said Ndonga Linena planted 154 hectares of maize earlier, with another 246 hectares to be planted this month.

The Orange River Irrigation Project (ORIP) has 25 hectares of dates, and the ministry is in the process of ordering 60 hectares of grapevines for small-scale farmers, which need replenishment. In 2024, the ministry invested approximately N$7 million into the Sikondo Green Scheme for new tractors and implements. The Shadikongoro Green Scheme generated N$7 million in the past cropping season, realising a N$3.5 million profit.

Of the 11 government-owned Green Schemes, eight were initially operated under the direct management of the now-beleaguered Agricultural Business Development Agency (Agribusdev), while three are leased out to private entities. 

Agribusdev’s failure to manage and run the Green Schemes was attributed to the high cost of production (electricity, inputs, wage bill, maintenance, etc), and lack of access to lucrative regional and continental markets. 

Other issues blamed for the collapse of the country’s Green Schemes are the bureaucratic delays in procuring farming inputs, the misplaced Agribusdev business plan, the schemes being managed from Windhoek, small and medium-scale farmers having to endure travelling long distances to sell their products, and incessant under-funding from government as the main stakeholder. 

As a result, most remained dormant and unproductive, until now.