The Kalimbeza Rice Project in the Zambezi Region remains dormant due to a lack of funds.

This is despite the project having been bailed out in 2020 when the Ministry of Agriculture spent N$7.1 million to keep it running.

Kalimbeza, the only Green Scheme project in Zambezi was envisaged to be the major rice producer in the region if not in the whole country.

After AGIBUSDEV allegedly failed to manage the project, forcing the government to take over the Green Scheme that was supposed to have happened before the end of 2022.

However, the National Rice project is still in limbo as to when its operations will be taken over by the government.

Last year government instructed the Rice Project to stop its operations due to broken machinery and a pump that is still to be repaired or replaced.

2023 will be the third year without normal production on the 229 hectares of land in Kabbe North Constituency.

The Kalimbeza Rice Project before operation stoppage produced three rice varieties of Supa, Irga and Angola.

Zambezi Governor, Alufea Sampofu, says the project operation has been affected because of insufficient funding.

Sampofu has on several occasions raised concern that Traditional Authorities in the region availed several hectares of land to the government for the purpose of food production but that land remains unutilized.

Currently, the Kalimbeza National Project has employed 11 permanent employees.