Kavango green scheme stuck at 50% output as maize rots in fields
• ‘It’s a cycle of loss’
Green scheme farmers say while they are deeply committed, they face numerous obstacles that limit their success.
The Uvhungu-Vhungu green scheme in the Kavango East region has seen its crop production slashed in half due to the unavailability of a combine harvester.
Farm manager Floris Smith revealed in an interview with Namibian Sun this week that the scheme has been unable to harvest its maize on time, which has disrupted seasonal planting and drastically reduced output.
“If I plant half the farm with maize, I have half the production. I should be finished and selling by now, but I can’t because the maize is still on the field. I’m waiting for a combine from somebody else. And the same happens again in December. It’s a cycle of loss.” Smith said.
He explained that although the ministry has already received budget approval for certain interventions, much of the execution still lies beyond the farm’s control.
“The money is approved. But it’s up to the ministry and those higher up to make things happen. We’re committed to production, but we’re limited,” he said.
“We’re ready to put everything under production by the end of the year,” he added, noting that wheat planting is currently underway. “If all goes well, within the next 10 days, all wheat will be in the ground and watered.”
Overcoming obstacles
However, Smith said wheat cultivation carries its own set of risks and limitations. “You gamble every year with frost. If it comes at the wrong time, like during pollination, you lose everything,” he cautioned. Moreover, logistical hurdles also weigh heavily. “The only market for wheat is in Windhoek. That’s 700 kilometres per truck. And there are only two milling companies.”
Asked whether a milling plant in Rundu would help, Smith took a realistic view: “A facility like that costs millions and requires a consistent supply. Even the biggest producers in Mariental don’t have their own mill.”
Smith stressed that despite infrastructural and bureaucratic challenges, the farm team remains committed. “You found me inside a tractor,” he said. “Our role is to keep producing with what we have. But that can only go so far.”
His concerns mirror those raised last week by Mutero Joseph, manager of the Shadikongoro Green Scheme, who also lamented the lack of basic agricultural implements. With 290 hectares of maize awaiting harvest and no combine harvester in sight, Joseph warned that the crop is dying in the fields.
Deputy agriculture minister Ruth Masake, who visited the Shadikongoro project on Tuesday, acknowledged the urgency. She urged green scheme managers not to struggle in silence but to approach the ministry through proper channels. “I will assist in sourcing a harvester for Shadikongoro,” she said, advising managers to explore alternatives like renting or borrowing from other regions.
Masake also used the opportunity to encourage accountability within the ministry, cautioning against corruption and urging small-scale farmers to graduate to medium-scale to make room for others. “No one should remain a small-scale farmer for 15 years,” she said.
Farm manager Floris Smith revealed in an interview with Namibian Sun this week that the scheme has been unable to harvest its maize on time, which has disrupted seasonal planting and drastically reduced output.
“If I plant half the farm with maize, I have half the production. I should be finished and selling by now, but I can’t because the maize is still on the field. I’m waiting for a combine from somebody else. And the same happens again in December. It’s a cycle of loss.” Smith said.
He explained that although the ministry has already received budget approval for certain interventions, much of the execution still lies beyond the farm’s control.
“The money is approved. But it’s up to the ministry and those higher up to make things happen. We’re committed to production, but we’re limited,” he said.
“We’re ready to put everything under production by the end of the year,” he added, noting that wheat planting is currently underway. “If all goes well, within the next 10 days, all wheat will be in the ground and watered.”
Overcoming obstacles
However, Smith said wheat cultivation carries its own set of risks and limitations. “You gamble every year with frost. If it comes at the wrong time, like during pollination, you lose everything,” he cautioned. Moreover, logistical hurdles also weigh heavily. “The only market for wheat is in Windhoek. That’s 700 kilometres per truck. And there are only two milling companies.”
Asked whether a milling plant in Rundu would help, Smith took a realistic view: “A facility like that costs millions and requires a consistent supply. Even the biggest producers in Mariental don’t have their own mill.”
Smith stressed that despite infrastructural and bureaucratic challenges, the farm team remains committed. “You found me inside a tractor,” he said. “Our role is to keep producing with what we have. But that can only go so far.”
His concerns mirror those raised last week by Mutero Joseph, manager of the Shadikongoro Green Scheme, who also lamented the lack of basic agricultural implements. With 290 hectares of maize awaiting harvest and no combine harvester in sight, Joseph warned that the crop is dying in the fields.
Deputy agriculture minister Ruth Masake, who visited the Shadikongoro project on Tuesday, acknowledged the urgency. She urged green scheme managers not to struggle in silence but to approach the ministry through proper channels. “I will assist in sourcing a harvester for Shadikongoro,” she said, advising managers to explore alternatives like renting or borrowing from other regions.
Masake also used the opportunity to encourage accountability within the ministry, cautioning against corruption and urging small-scale farmers to graduate to medium-scale to make room for others. “No one should remain a small-scale farmer for 15 years,” she said.
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