By Foibe N Paavo
WINDHOEK, 14 May 2022 – The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) has turned down a proposal by the Agronomic Producers’ Association (APA) to use green schemes lying idle for winter crop production and suggested instead the APA apply for long-term green-scheme leaseholds.
In a statement issued in Windhoek, the agriculture ministry said the APA was aiming for a three year/season leasehold for several green schemes.
“A leasehold of that nature is not possible without a proper bidding process according to the national lease procedures, and therefore the ministry advised the association to rather participate in responding to our Request for Proposals (RFPs) for leasehold for green schemes for terms long enough to get returns on the respective investments,” the statement said. Such RFPs will be published in batches from the end of May.
The ministry also said that the APA proposal was considered an indication from the private sector of a market opportunity for all private operators instead of members of the association only.
“If the proposal were to be entertained, it would have been opened up to all interested parties through a short term Expression of Interest (EoL) which would
have given all potentially interested private operators opportunity to bid.”
In the meantime, the ministry, in cooperation with green scheme managers, will facilitate planting wheat where possible and called for technical and other support from stakeholders in the farming community.
“ We have the possibility to mitigate a looming crisis with our own means,” the ministry said.
Due to the war in Ukraine, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned there is a short-term food price crisis developing which could affect the availability of wheat and wheat products. – Namibia Daily News
