By:Nghiinomenwa-vali Erastus
Under the Namibia Agricultural Mechanisation and Seed Improvement Project (NAMSIP), 350 tractors’ components are being procured at the cost of N$300 millionto assemble tractors locally.
This was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform Deputy Minister Anna Shiweda during a visit to theOshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Omusati regionslast week.
The Ministry said the Eenhana Vocational Training Centres’ graduates and ready-to-graduate trainees have been capacitated to do the assembling of tractors for all the four regions’ tractors.
This is under a capacity building initiative that requires the contracted supplier to get into an agreement with local vocational graduates and those that are about to trade to also fix the tractorswhen they break down.
Minister Shiweda said so far 168 of the 350 tractors were received and delivered tothese regions.
Of the remaining 182 tractors, 50 of them have just arrived and are being assembled locally by trained vocational graduates. The rest are expected before the end the year.
The NAMSIP project has two key sub-components, namely the Certified Seed Systems Improvement and the Agricultural Mechanisation of which the procurement of tractors forms part of it.
The Ministry signed contracts for the supply and delivery of 350 tractors, of which the first Lot which includes 52 tractorsin the ranges of 40–50 kW with matching implements and fodder equipment, as well as eight Certified Seed Pre-Cleaning Machines were received.
Fourteen Prototype Pearl Millet/Cowpea/Maize Thresher Plants are being awaited for delivery.
The second delivery will include 10 tractors in the ranges of 80-90kW and 23 tractors in the ranges of 75-80kW, with matching implements and fodder equipment. Of these, 18 with matching implements have arrived in the country, the Deputy Minister stated.
They will be delivered to the final destination for assembling, testing, and commissioning.
Lot 3 includes 167 tractors in the ranges of 60-70kW with matching implements and fodder equipment that awaits delivery.
As for the last Lot, the Ministry is procuring 98 tractors in the ranges of 60-70kW with matching implements and fodder equipment..
NAMSIP is a project co-funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), with the target beneficiaries being small-scale farmers in communal areas throughout the country.
The development goal of the project is to improve household food security and contribute to poverty reduction, by enhancing agricultural productivity, facilitating job creation and enhancing household incomes to improve the livelihoods of rural people.
The Ministry has also highlighted various challenges it faced in the project implementation such as delays with most of the procurement-related activities due to procurement complaints by unsuccessful bidders. Email: erastus@thevillager.com.na