28 Apr 2013

Only farmers who row plant will benefit in draught power and herbicide subsidy from the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD), Minister of Agriculture Mr Christiaan De Graaff has said.

Addressing members of the media in Gaborone, on April 25, Mr De Graaff said the move is meant to encourage row planting.

The main objectives of the ISPAAD programme is to improve arable sub sector production by enhancing technology adoption which includes the use of hybrid seeds, fertilizer, weeding and row planting as well as primary and secondary tillage.

He said as the current farming system does not categorise farmers according to their level and area of production, farmers do not get appropriate assistance for their level of operation and production, hence the need to categorise farmers and to package appropriate subsidies according to their level of production.

Minister De Graaff informed members of the media that the ministry categorised subsistence farmers as those who have fields of up to 16 hectors, adding that they will get 100 per cent subsidy for ploughing, row planting and harrowing as well as hybrid seeds, soil testing, herbicides and fertilizers.

He highlighted that all the assistance cover up to five hectors for subsistence farmers only, adding that the farmers will be assisted with hybrid seeds that cover up to 16 hectors, only if they opt for open – pollinated seeds.

“Majority of farmers cannot afford fertilizers that need to be applied for basal and top dressing because of prohibitive prices, as a result production levels remain relatively low,” he said.

He said subsistence farmers do not properly carryout some practices such as tillage and do not use hybrid seeds due to shortage of machinery, associated implements as well as the high prices of seeds and as a results their operations are inappropriate resulting in low yields hence the need to provide assistance in the form of draft power and hybrid seeds.

Emerging farmers, the minister said have been categorised under the reviewed programme as those farmers with fields of up to 150 hectors and will get 35 percent subsidy for hybrid seeds, fertilizers and herbicides of all the hectors they own.

He also elaborated that commercial farmers have been categorised to be those who own up to 500 hectors and will be assisted with 30 per cent subsidy for seed, fertilizers and herbicides.

The new rates for ISPAAD are P800 for ploughing and row planting and an additional P360 when a field has been harrowed, an increase from P150 of harrowing.

Assistant Minister in the same ministry, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi said the ministry worked out to assure that it accommodates the reduced hectorage subsidy to five hectors for all the subsistence farmers.

Mr Molebatsi said with 110 000 subsistence farmers, 200 emerging farmers and 90 commercial farmers, the ministry budget will accommodate all the subsidies.

He said at the end of it all, they will get better yields, especially with beans and sorghum which are drought resistance crops.ENDS