Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

30% of land at Etunda Irrigation not under production

Home National 30% of land at Etunda Irrigation not under production

ONGWEDIVA – Amid fears of a looming drought envisaged in the country following low rainfall experienced since the start of the rainy season, 30 percent of the land at Etunda Irrigation Project near Ruacana is not under production.
Agribusdev Managing Director, Petrus Uugwanga, said 400 hectares (ha) of the irrigation scheme’s 1 200ha are not under production.

Of the 400ha, 300ha were commercially allocated to a private company for the production of asparagus.
Uugwanga said plans are at an advanced stage to have the 300ha under production in the near future.

According to Uugwanga, the remaining 100ha were allocated to medium-scale farmers and is now lying idled because the farmers vacated or got evicted due to non-performance.

Such plots, according to Uugwanga, will be advertised soon for the project to become fully operational again.
Some farmers New Era spoke to lamented the high cost of inputs such as fertiliser, which costs between N$300 and N$500.
In addition to the high cost, the selling price of the produce is too low compared to the money spent to keep the operations of an individual farmer going.

One farmer further lamented that the maize, which is one of the main produce at the project, is sold at N$190 per bag of dried maize to the government through the Etunda office.

“This is too cheap compared to the resources we put in. It was going to be fair if a bag is sold at least for N$300 upwards,” the farmer lamented.

Uugwanga said despite having land, which is not under production, Etunda continues to contribute significantly to national food security.

“Etunda contributes significantly to the national food security.  Apart from the constant supply of vegetables and milled products like wheat and maize meal, it also supplies the national food bank,” said Uugwanga.
Other challenges facing the project include the high electricity and water costs and cash flow emanating from the 2016/17 armyworm invasion.