Neckartal irrigation scheme expected to attract 33 000 people

The Neckartal irrigation scheme, which is currently being developed in the //Kharas region, is expected to create about 11 000 employment opportunities.

Minister of agriculture, water and land reform Calle Schlettwein revealed this during the Keetmanshoop Agricultural, Industrial and Tourism Expo last week.

He said between 33 000 and 40 000 people are expected to be attracted by the project.

Schlettwein said the ministry is at an advanced stage of procuring the services of technical experts for the construction of irrigation systems at farm level, and are envisaging to have these consultants on board from next year.

The ministry has, in the meantime, split the development of the irrigation scheme into two phases to allow the construction of a balancing dam due to water scarcity.

“The development of the Neckartal Irrigation Project Phase 1 uses a gravity-fed system by tapping water from the newly constructed nearby balancing dam with the capacity of 90 000m3.

The balancing dam is fed by the Neckartal Dam via a 1 000mm-diameter pipe by means of a pumping system.

“The dam was constructed as a second phase development of the Naute Dam scheme, specifically to supply additional water for irrigation. Water scarcity in the whole of Namibia is a most severe constraint for agricultural development. “Hence, the ministry has undertaken the development of the Neckartal Irrigation Project into two phases, with a combined total of 5 000ha of irrigable land,” Schlettwein said.

He said the first phase of the project will be developed mainly on the farms surrounding the balancing dam, covering a combined area of approximately 10 064ha of land in total, of which 2 000ha is earmarked for irrigation development.

Schlettwein said phase two is being developed within the framework of the Green Scheme Policy and Green Scheme Objectives.

Out of the 5 000ha required for agricultural production, only 3 800ha have been acquired to date, and efforts are being made to secure the remaining 1 200ha.

“We have made a bit of progress up to now.

A total land area of about 12 000ha needs to be acquired. Of that 12 000ha, 5 000ha are identified to be suitable for irrigation. The other 7 000ha are not for irrigation but for feedlotting and other related things.

“Of the 5 000ha we purchased, 3 800ha and 1 200ha are still in the process of being procured.

“There are some difficulties, but the project is far too important to be put in jeopardy because of those difficulties.

We are determined to go through with this project, acquire the land, and finalise the second phase of the dam,” the minister said.

He said Keetmanshoop is expected to double in size and urged stakeholders and the Keetmanshoop municipality to consider town planning and budgeting for housing, bulk infrastructure, power, roads, hospitals and schools.

“Neckartal will not work if we don’t have the people here. So we must put hats together. Let’s develop it together . . . It’s a complex matter, but it needs to be addressed urgently . . ,” he said.

The Keetmanshoop Agricultural, Industrial and Tourism Expo was held under the theme ‘Tourism and Green Investment for Inclusive Economic Development’.

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