Fully equipped NYS irrigation farm lies idle
The National Youth Service (NYS) has been accused of not using its farm at Berg Aukas to create jobs for young Namibians.
The government spent millions on farm implements and an irrigation system, but all this equipment is standing idle.
The farm is located at Berg Aukas, 15km east of Grootfontein. It was donated to the Namibian government by Goldfields Namibia in 1990, together with the Berg Aukas youth vocational training centre, which used to be an agricultural school.
In 2008 the youth ministry handed over the farm to the NYS, which was established in 2005.
A source privy to the ministry's affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the NYS is under-utilising the farm, which is equipped with a sophisticated irrigation system.
“This farm was very active when it was under the youth ministry. After it was handed over to the NYS nothing much has been happening. The NYS is lacking creativity and innovative ideas that can help the youth,” the source said.
The source said further the whole farm is geared for food production, with an underground pipeline network distributing water from boreholes. It also has a reservoir holding more than one million litres, which pumps water directly onto the fields.
The source accused the NYS of not doing anything to create jobs for the youth. He said if fully utilised, the farm could create thousands of jobs.
“The farm has tractors and harvesters for various farming activities.
Most of the equipment is new, as some was bought in 2003 and others were bought in 2008 when the farm was handed over. There is no reason for the NYS not to fully utilise the farm.
“These tools and equipment were bought with state money to be used at the farm to create employment for the Namibian youth, however they are just standing there and some of them were never used since they were bought in 2008,” the source said.
When Namibian Sun visited the farm last month, less than a hectare was being cultivated. Staff at the farm said there were fewer than ten employees and only a small piece of land was used to produce maize, watermelons and vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, onions and green peppers.
They said there is an unused piggery which could hold more than 200 pigs. They said the piggery had never been used since it was set up.
The NYS is a youth development service institution, established by the National Youth Service Act of 2005.
Its objectives are to train young people, involve them in national development efforts, encourage youth volunteerism, and facilitate youth contribution to socio-economic development, poverty alleviation and national food security.
Efforts to get comment from the NYS failed, as its spokesperson, Johanna Kambala, could not respond to the enquiries.
ILENI NANDJATO
The government spent millions on farm implements and an irrigation system, but all this equipment is standing idle.
The farm is located at Berg Aukas, 15km east of Grootfontein. It was donated to the Namibian government by Goldfields Namibia in 1990, together with the Berg Aukas youth vocational training centre, which used to be an agricultural school.
In 2008 the youth ministry handed over the farm to the NYS, which was established in 2005.
A source privy to the ministry's affairs, speaking on condition of anonymity, says the NYS is under-utilising the farm, which is equipped with a sophisticated irrigation system.
“This farm was very active when it was under the youth ministry. After it was handed over to the NYS nothing much has been happening. The NYS is lacking creativity and innovative ideas that can help the youth,” the source said.
The source said further the whole farm is geared for food production, with an underground pipeline network distributing water from boreholes. It also has a reservoir holding more than one million litres, which pumps water directly onto the fields.
The source accused the NYS of not doing anything to create jobs for the youth. He said if fully utilised, the farm could create thousands of jobs.
“The farm has tractors and harvesters for various farming activities.
Most of the equipment is new, as some was bought in 2003 and others were bought in 2008 when the farm was handed over. There is no reason for the NYS not to fully utilise the farm.
“These tools and equipment were bought with state money to be used at the farm to create employment for the Namibian youth, however they are just standing there and some of them were never used since they were bought in 2008,” the source said.
When Namibian Sun visited the farm last month, less than a hectare was being cultivated. Staff at the farm said there were fewer than ten employees and only a small piece of land was used to produce maize, watermelons and vegetables such as spinach, cabbage, onions and green peppers.
They said there is an unused piggery which could hold more than 200 pigs. They said the piggery had never been used since it was set up.
The NYS is a youth development service institution, established by the National Youth Service Act of 2005.
Its objectives are to train young people, involve them in national development efforts, encourage youth volunteerism, and facilitate youth contribution to socio-economic development, poverty alleviation and national food security.
Efforts to get comment from the NYS failed, as its spokesperson, Johanna Kambala, could not respond to the enquiries.
ILENI NANDJATO
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