Staff Reporter
THE Ministry of Agriculture has formally terminated its Remote Sensing Agricultural Services Agreement with 6th Grain Corporation, which was intended to facilitate the implementation of an artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite imagery-driven crop monitoring system.
This was announced by Romeo Muyunda, the ministry’s spokesperson, who revealed that the decision follows a comprehensive review of the agreement and the circumstances surrounding its conclusion.
“The review established that the agreement did not meet the requisite legal and procedural requirements applicable to contractual arrangements entered into on behalf of Government. Consequently, Government has invoked the applicable termination provisions of the agreement and has issued a formal written notice of termination to 6th Grain Corporation,” Muyunda explained.
This comes a few months after it was revealed that 6th Grain Corporation had secured a US$2.4 million contract with the ministry to deploy satellite-based crop monitoring and artificial intelligence technology aimed at strengthening food security and agricultural planning. The one-year agreement was intended to provide advanced remote sensing, geospatial analytics and artificial intelligence tools to support the monitoring and management of Namibia’s staple crop sectors.
The contract subsequently attracted considerable public concern, prompting the ministry to assure the public that the matter was being addressed at the highest level.
“The Ministry wishes to assure the public that the matter has received the necessary attention at the highest level of Government. The decision to terminate the agreement is intended to safeguard the interests of the State and to ensure that all contractual arrangements entered into on behalf of Government comply with applicable laws, policies, regulations and established procedures. Government remains committed to strengthening transparency, accountability and compliance in the management of public resources and in all contractual engagements entered into on behalf of the Namibian State,” Muyunda added.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: 6th Grain Corporation
