NNFU bemoans slow progress of Green Scheme

COMMUNAL farmers are waiting to participate in Government’s much-touted Green Scheme, but progress is too slow, the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU) says.

“The Ministry of Agriculture has completely excluded the NNFU and other partners from the revision of the Green Scheme policy,” NNFU president Pintile Davids said at the annual meeting of the union’s national council meeting outside Windhoek over the weekend. “There was no consultation at all and now we have to be happy with whatever is reflected in the said policy,” he said.The Green Scheme is a multimillion-dollar project planned mainly for large-scale irrigation along Namibia’s perennial rivers, with clusters of small-scale farms to be incorporated to accomplish skills transfer to these farmers.Davids further noted that Government and meat producers had still not found a solution to the reduced exports of live sheep to South Africa.”Although NNFU and its members support local value addition by having mutton processed locally, it should not happen at the expense of producers,” Davids cautioned.Government curbed sheep exports to neighbouring South Africa by imposing a ratio of 1:6, meaning that for each sheep exported, six must be slaughtered in Namibia.This practically led to the collapse of sheep exports.Davids urged the 50-member NNFU national council to strengthen the communal farming identity of the organisation.”We cannot afford to compromise our mandate, even if we partner with other role players.”The NNFU Council reflected on its financial situation, activities of the past year, HIV-AIDS at the workplace, the restructuring of Meatco and its relationship with other farming organisations.”There was no consultation at all and now we have to be happy with whatever is reflected in the said policy,” he said.The Green Scheme is a multimillion-dollar project planned mainly for large-scale irrigation along Namibia’s perennial rivers, with clusters of small-scale farms to be incorporated to accomplish skills transfer to these farmers.Davids further noted that Government and meat producers had still not found a solution to the reduced exports of live sheep to South Africa.”Although NNFU and its members support local value addition by having mutton processed locally, it should not happen at the expense of producers,” Davids cautioned.Government curbed sheep exports to neighbouring South Africa by imposing a ratio of 1:6, meaning that for each sheep exported, six must be slaughtered in Namibia.This practically led to the collapse of sheep exports.Davids urged the 50-member NNFU national council to strengthen the communal farming identity of the organisation.”We cannot afford to compromise our mandate, even if we partner with other role players.”The NNFU Council reflected on its financial situation, activities of the past year, HIV-AIDS at the workplace, the restructuring of Meatco and its relationship with other farming organisations.