Increased water supply to revitalise Hardap Green Scheme lucerne production

The Hardap Green Scheme is set to revitalise its lucerne production after the Namibia Water Corporation (NamWater) approved an increase in irrigation water supply, signaling a boost for local agriculture and employment.

Hardap Green Scheme manager Lima Kativa says they plan to plant lucerne on a commercial plot of 50 hectares this year.

“Come April 2025, we are going to work on our land and we are going to plant 50 hectares of lucerne,” he says.

He says this will be the first time the Hardap Green Scheme will plant lucerne on such as huge area on a commercial base.

Kativa says this development will also provide jobs, even though some of the jobs will be temporary.

“That will be an advantage for the youth, given the fact that the unemployment rate is very high,” he adds.

In consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, Namibia this week approved the request by the Hardap Farmers Association to increase irrigation supply at the scheme to 100%.

In a media statement released on Wednesday, NamWater said this decision was made following a comprehensive dry-run analysis and positive inflows into the Hardap Dam.

The recent inflows, according to Namwater, have improved the dam’s capacity to 22.1%, allowing irrigation activities to proceed at full capacity while ensuring sustainable water supply for the region. This decision will help sustain livelihoods and preserve jobs at Mariental and surrounding areas, strengthening the local economy and agricultural productivity.

Effective immediately, NamWater will supply 100% of the irrigable land at the Hardap Green Scheme, up to a total of 48 million m³ per year. This is conditional on water availability until the end of September, and continued potable water security for domestic use until February
2027.

NamWater said they will conduct regular dry-run analyses to safeguard potable water availability, and urged farmers to continue adopting water efficient irrigation practices to support long-term water security.

“While this decision provides immediate relief and economic benefits, responsible water management remains a collective priority,” said NamWater. Last year, the Hardap Green Scheme did not produce lucerne as there was not enough water in the Hardap Dam to allow it to do so.

The Hardap Green Scheme is one of the smallest state-owned green schemes in Namibia and it is mainly focused on the production of lucerne and occasionally barley, oats, maize and wheat.