MPs flag inefficiencies threatening green schemes
Push for urgent fixes
Namibia's green schemes, once hailed as a cornerstone of government's plan to boost local food security and jobs, are battling debilitating challenges.
Lawmakers warn that Namibia’s green schemes are buckling under pressure, threatening their very survival and the rural jobs and food security they were meant to deliver.
Members of parliament who visited the projects from 11 to 15 August across the Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi regions have raised the alarm over outdated machinery, delayed payments and high operational costs.
The parliamentary standing committee on natural resources’ findings, presented during parliamentary sessions this week, painted a picture of both potential and frustration.
“On paper, the green schemes are a model for mechanised agriculture, job creation and food security,” MP Dr Tobie Aupindi said in a report released after the inspection.
“But in practice, farmers face unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles that undermine progress.”
The committee, responsible for oversight of agricultural development initiatives, conducted the week-long visit to assess the effectiveness of the multi-milliondollar projects.
In trouble
Their tour included visits to Ndonga Linena and Uvhungu-Uvhungu in Kavango East and Musese in Kavango West.
At Ndonga Linena, they observed precision farming initiatives that have improved crop yields and efficiency. Farmers there reported that access to mechanised ploughing and irrigation systems has allowed them to harvest more within shorter periods.
Musese was highlighted as a success story for small-scale farmers who benefit from mechanised support and employment opportunities.
“This project has created work for young people in our community,” a farmer in Musese said. “But we still struggle with delayed payments and high transport costs for our produce," the report quoted him.
The committee noted that Uvhungu Vhungu farmers face delays of up to eight months for payments on crops delivered to the Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA).
Outstanding VAT refunds totalling more than N$2.5 million from NamRA over four years were also cited as a major concern.
Such delays, MPs warned, directly affect farmers’ ability to cover household expenses, school fees and reinvest in their next season’s crops.
Decentralise
In addition to financial bottlenecks, MPs observed that centralised procurement systems based in Windhoek slow down critical operations such as machinery repairs and infrastructure maintenance.
Broken irrigation systems, non-functional rice milling equipment and poor storage facilities were identified as recurring problems in several schemes, including the decades-old Kalimbeza Rice Project, launched in 1986.
Aupindi stressed that without urgent decentralisation and strengthened management at regional level, the green schemes risk collapsing.
“The infrastructure is there, the land is available, and the water resources are sufficient. What’s missing is effective local oversight and accountability,” he said.
Furthermore, the report highlighted the human impact of these challenges.
Job losses, delayed wages and interrupted harvests have created uncertainty for families who rely on these projects for livelihoods.
Critical projects
In Kavango West, a young farmworker explained how his seasonal employment is now unpredictable because of delayed machinery repairs. “Sometimes we cannot even plant on time,” he said. “The crops suffer and we lose income.”
Parliamentarians recommended several measures to ensure the sustainability of green schemes.
These include decentralising financial and operational authority, improving procurement processes, investing in storage and irrigation infrastructure, and creating clear channels for timely payments to farmers.
They also stressed the importance of training and capacity building for regional management teams.
The oversight committee concluded that while green schemes have demonstrated pockets of success, systemic inefficiencies threaten their long-term viability.
The committee vowed to push for reforms to secure national food production, rural employment and the stability of these critical agricultural initiatives.
[email protected]
Members of parliament who visited the projects from 11 to 15 August across the Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi regions have raised the alarm over outdated machinery, delayed payments and high operational costs.
The parliamentary standing committee on natural resources’ findings, presented during parliamentary sessions this week, painted a picture of both potential and frustration.
“On paper, the green schemes are a model for mechanised agriculture, job creation and food security,” MP Dr Tobie Aupindi said in a report released after the inspection.
“But in practice, farmers face unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles that undermine progress.”
The committee, responsible for oversight of agricultural development initiatives, conducted the week-long visit to assess the effectiveness of the multi-milliondollar projects.
In trouble
Their tour included visits to Ndonga Linena and Uvhungu-Uvhungu in Kavango East and Musese in Kavango West.
At Ndonga Linena, they observed precision farming initiatives that have improved crop yields and efficiency. Farmers there reported that access to mechanised ploughing and irrigation systems has allowed them to harvest more within shorter periods.
Musese was highlighted as a success story for small-scale farmers who benefit from mechanised support and employment opportunities.
“This project has created work for young people in our community,” a farmer in Musese said. “But we still struggle with delayed payments and high transport costs for our produce," the report quoted him.
The committee noted that Uvhungu Vhungu farmers face delays of up to eight months for payments on crops delivered to the Agro-Marketing and Trade Agency (AMTA).
Outstanding VAT refunds totalling more than N$2.5 million from NamRA over four years were also cited as a major concern.
Such delays, MPs warned, directly affect farmers’ ability to cover household expenses, school fees and reinvest in their next season’s crops.
Decentralise
In addition to financial bottlenecks, MPs observed that centralised procurement systems based in Windhoek slow down critical operations such as machinery repairs and infrastructure maintenance.
Broken irrigation systems, non-functional rice milling equipment and poor storage facilities were identified as recurring problems in several schemes, including the decades-old Kalimbeza Rice Project, launched in 1986.
Aupindi stressed that without urgent decentralisation and strengthened management at regional level, the green schemes risk collapsing.
“The infrastructure is there, the land is available, and the water resources are sufficient. What’s missing is effective local oversight and accountability,” he said.
Furthermore, the report highlighted the human impact of these challenges.
Job losses, delayed wages and interrupted harvests have created uncertainty for families who rely on these projects for livelihoods.
Critical projects
In Kavango West, a young farmworker explained how his seasonal employment is now unpredictable because of delayed machinery repairs. “Sometimes we cannot even plant on time,” he said. “The crops suffer and we lose income.”
Parliamentarians recommended several measures to ensure the sustainability of green schemes.
These include decentralising financial and operational authority, improving procurement processes, investing in storage and irrigation infrastructure, and creating clear channels for timely payments to farmers.
They also stressed the importance of training and capacity building for regional management teams.
The oversight committee concluded that while green schemes have demonstrated pockets of success, systemic inefficiencies threaten their long-term viability.
The committee vowed to push for reforms to secure national food production, rural employment and the stability of these critical agricultural initiatives.
[email protected]
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article