President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says she is satisfied with the progress made by some green schemes in the Kavango East Region.

The President visited Shadikongoro and Ndonga Linena on Thursday and said she noticed significant improvement in their operations.

The Head of State visited Shadikongoro and Ndonga Linena in March last year and says it was not a positive encounter.

"When I visited those green schemes that time, I was really disappointed, both in Shadikongoro and Ndonga Linena and others, and not very much was happening. The farmer inputs, particularly the fertiliser and seeds, were arriving very late. The other one is that the pivots were not working; they needed servicing, and the tractors were not enough. All this had an impact on their production."

Dr. Nandi-Ndaitwah then compiled a report, and the matter was discussed, with some of the challenges, like the need for timely access to fertiliser and seeds, addressed.

The President said additional pivots were added and some broken ones were repaired, leading to an increase in production.

The farm manager at Ndonga Linena says this year's maize harvest was the biggest they have yet recorded.

Despite the improvements, Nandi-Ndaitwah said much remains to be done.

A lack of proper farming equipment, the high cost of electricity and labour-related matters are just some of the many concerns that still hamper the project's success.

"I am happy. I am really happy, but still we have to do a lot. I made a commitment, on behalf of the government, that we must feed Namibians, and we can start with green schemes that are in the hands of the government to make sure that they are utilised to their full capacity. Particularly those areas which are not good for crop production, they are planning to put up an orchard. This is what we want so that we can really feed the nation."

The President is adamant that Namibia become able to feed itself, and she says this is a collective responsibility.

"It's not only green schemes. I am appealing to Namibians to have an interest in farming, and we have a government to develop the market. That is the responsibility of the government. For the market of our agri production to be sold so that the farmers can understand the value of their labour."

President Nandi-Ndaitwah was to continue with her familiarisation visits to various other green schemes on Friday.