By: Nghiinomenwa-vali Hangala
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Land Reforms has told the Parliamentary Committee that a lack of finances has prevented them from buying land to develop the Neckartal Dam Irrigation Project.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Natural Resources held consultative engagements on Tuesday with representatives from key government ministries in the //Kharas Region as part of its oversight programme.
During the engagements, the members were briefed on various developmental projects, including the Neckartal Dam project, support for SME’s, and agricultural support programmes under the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to the presentation by the deputy director in the Agriculture and Water Ministry, Petrus Nangolo, after the dam was completed in 2020, the Ministry initiated the acquisition process of the farmland through the willing seller, willing buyer method.
However, according to Nangolo, the Ministry has experienced an unwillingness to sell by the owners of portions of land identified for irrigation purposes around the Neckartal Dam. The willing sellers want the government to acquire the farms in whole and not just the earmarked portions.
Nangolo also highlighted that there is no specific budgetary provision for the acquisition of land for the Neckartal Dam irrigation scheme.
The 856 million cubic meter dam took Namibia around 8 years to complete at the cost of N$5.7 billion, with government/taxpayers still repaying the loan.
However, to date, the dam has only been a source of water vapour and a tourist attraction despite the main goal being to provide and lead to the development of commercial agricultural activities.
The dam is currently full (99.9%), with no commercial activities being developed or planned; the water will continue to evaporate.
According to Nangolo, to date, the Land Ministry has only acquired 20,248.2917 ha at a total cost of N$19,537,491.59 for the development of the Neckartal Dam irrigation schemes.
However, despite those acquisitions, the government has not started any agricultural development.
The Ministry has also indicated that 3,705 hectares of agricultural land and abstraction land are yet to be acquired, even though identified.
The Ministry has recommended to the Parliamentary Committee that the government should have a separate budgetary allocation to acquire the earmarked land during the national budget allocation.
Furthermore, the government should expropriate portions of land around the Neckartal Dam and implement the project instead of the willing seller, willing buyer approach, which is struggling to acquire the required land.
The Ministry has also indicated that a consultant (Dunamis Consultant) has been appointed to undertake a comprehensive technical and financial feasibility study for downstream irrigation development.
The study will serve as a critical risk-mitigation tool to safeguard public capital and prevent financial losses and determine the parameters for profitable and sustainable agricultural production, the Ministry explained.
The study will encompass assessing soil suitability and mapping optimal crop selection at the same time to ensure high-water use efficiency.
The consultant will also be responsible for the engineering design of the irrigation development, and they are expected to complete the task by the end of the year, while commercial plots will be advertised next year.
erastus@thevillager.com.na
