The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Calle Schlettwein, says that the completion of the second phase of the Neckartal Dam Irrigation Scheme on the outskirts of Keetmanshoop in the ||Kharas Region has the capacity to provide more than 10,000 employment opportunities.

Schlettwein was answering questions during a consultative meeting with stakeholders in the agricultural sector at Keetmanshoop.

Steve Swartbooi, a farmer in the area, was among the stakeholders who had questions and suggestions to put forward to the minister.

"A mention was made about the models that could be introduced. I am proposing that maybe we should be exposed to a number of models so that we can make informed choices as to which model we should use in terms of the irrigation scheme.'

"I would also like to know how the youth enterprises can benefit with reference to the commercial activities; we understand that the youth should be involved, but how will they benefit from this?" queried Jereia Nghiwanwa, branch manager at NCCI.

Gershon Daniel Dausab is the Chairperson of the Hardap Regional Council and said, "I believe that while we deal with the 5,000 hectares here, we do not exclude the Hardab residents who made the effort to be part of this project. Let them not feel left out while we are dealing with this, and I believe this can be done simultaneously."

Schlettwein said small-scale farmers and the youth will equally benefit from the irrigation project, which is expected to produce enough for the domestic market.

"Financing is still a challenge and not yet secured. I am sharing that with you because the model that we agree on and that we will develop must be convincing to financiers who will buy into it. It must be bankable, and it must show that it produces a surplus. It must pay off the loans and bring wealth into society where it is because each farmer who is there must properly go to a bank and borrow money to buy a tractor, implements, or whatever else. So it is not only the project itself that needs financing; it is also the operators that also need financing, and each operation must be viable."

The government pumped N$5 billion into the construction of the Neckartal Dam.

The second phase is expected to cost N$2 billion and includes building pump stations, water canals, and irrigation facilities.