Schlettwein kicks off regional tour to meet with agri stakeholders
Agriculture, water, and land reform minister Calle Schlettwein is currently visiting the Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions to meet with stakeholders such as communal land boards, resettlement committees and both communal and commercial farmers.
His tour kicked off on Monday in the Omaheke Region and will continue until 21 August.
The first meetings were held with Omaheke Governor Pijoo Nganate, regional council members and Gobabis mayor Melba Tjozongoro to discuss various programmes led by the ministry and implemented at regional level.
Some of the issues under discussion include the delivery of the government's drought initiatives at the regional level, the resettlement programme, illegal fencing in communal areas, water supply and sanitation, the implementation of accessible land ownership and mining in water-protected areas.
The minister is accompanied by director of water affairs Dr Elijah Ngurare, director of land reform Petrus Nangolo, Dr Johannes Shoopala, acting chief veterinary officer and Ben Haraseb, acting director of agricultural development.
Subsidy guidelines
Meanwhile, the agriculture ministry has recently made the guidelines for subsidised production programmes available on their website.
The programmes include dairy, poultry, horticulture and dryland crop production, as well as conservation agriculture, and are intended for youth, women and previously disadvantaged communities.
According to ministry spokesperson Jonah Musheke, the subsidies are as high as a minimum of 65% and 50%. He stated that some regions are strong in poultry, others in horticulture, and each is accommodated accordingly. Horticulture producers can receive a subsidy for their irrigation systems valued at up to N$140 000.
Dairy producers
The Dairy Value Chain Development Scheme 2024–'25 focuses on integrating small-scale rural dairy producers into the national dairy industry.
The agriculture ministry believes this can contribute to making Namibia self-sufficient in milk and dairy products.
The programme will be implemented in the Otjozondjupa, Omaheke, Hardap and Zambezi regions, targeting 60 existing dairy producers. Each region will receive a total of N$1 million, along with an additional N$250 000 for capacity building.
The ministry is prepared to subsidise dairy producers up to N$200 000 per farmer, as well as those contributing to the dairy value chain who intend to purchase machinery, supplies or a quality bull.
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His tour kicked off on Monday in the Omaheke Region and will continue until 21 August.
The first meetings were held with Omaheke Governor Pijoo Nganate, regional council members and Gobabis mayor Melba Tjozongoro to discuss various programmes led by the ministry and implemented at regional level.
Some of the issues under discussion include the delivery of the government's drought initiatives at the regional level, the resettlement programme, illegal fencing in communal areas, water supply and sanitation, the implementation of accessible land ownership and mining in water-protected areas.
The minister is accompanied by director of water affairs Dr Elijah Ngurare, director of land reform Petrus Nangolo, Dr Johannes Shoopala, acting chief veterinary officer and Ben Haraseb, acting director of agricultural development.
Subsidy guidelines
Meanwhile, the agriculture ministry has recently made the guidelines for subsidised production programmes available on their website.
The programmes include dairy, poultry, horticulture and dryland crop production, as well as conservation agriculture, and are intended for youth, women and previously disadvantaged communities.
According to ministry spokesperson Jonah Musheke, the subsidies are as high as a minimum of 65% and 50%. He stated that some regions are strong in poultry, others in horticulture, and each is accommodated accordingly. Horticulture producers can receive a subsidy for their irrigation systems valued at up to N$140 000.
Dairy producers
The Dairy Value Chain Development Scheme 2024–'25 focuses on integrating small-scale rural dairy producers into the national dairy industry.
The agriculture ministry believes this can contribute to making Namibia self-sufficient in milk and dairy products.
The programme will be implemented in the Otjozondjupa, Omaheke, Hardap and Zambezi regions, targeting 60 existing dairy producers. Each region will receive a total of N$1 million, along with an additional N$250 000 for capacity building.
The ministry is prepared to subsidise dairy producers up to N$200 000 per farmer, as well as those contributing to the dairy value chain who intend to purchase machinery, supplies or a quality bull.
- [email protected]
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