23 Jun 2024

Farmers are permitted to apply for both Temo Letlotlo and Thuo Letlotlo programmes to improve their farming enterprises, says Minister of Agriculture, Mr Fidelis Molao.

Addressing residents of Selebi Phikwe on Friday, he said double dipping would be allowed to ensure food security and to grow the agriculture sector.

He urged residents to apply for the programmes to earn a living and create employment for others.

He said the two programmes, which replaced ISPAAD and LIMID, would run for 10 years and that they had sufficient funds this financial year to implement the two programmes.

He noted that one of the objectives of the Thuo Letlotlo programme was to increase the national herd from 1.8 million to 3.8 million over five years and increasing small stock from 1.2 million to 4 million, adding that there was a ready and lucrative market for beef, goat and sheep meat.

Furthermore, Mr Molao encouraged the residents to apply for Thuo Letlotlo to increase the number and quality of their herds as well as to commercialise the livestock sector.

He said the main objective of the Thuo Letlotlo programme was to develop a sustainable, inclusive and diversified livestock sector.

He said improving the quality of herd would not affect the taste because ‘our cattle are grass fed’ adding that feeds supplemented with growth hormones were prohibited.

Regarding small stock, he explained that the number of goats and sheep in the country was not enough to feed Saudi Arabia market.

He encouraged residents to venture into small stock farming in order to meet the set target.

He said Botswana Savings Bank (BSB), Botswana Building Society (BBS) and the National Development Bank (NDB) would work with his ministry to disburse funds allocated to beneficiaries.

He noted that micro-scale and medium-scale farmers would be assisted at BSB and BBS while large-scale farmers would get assistance from the NDB.

Mr Molao further explained that farmers under micro-scale would get a maximum grant of P60 000 without any contribution required, and that unemployed youth and women, people with disabilities, trusts and communities in rural area dwellers were entitled to P100 000 grant if they had 21 to 100 herds of livestock.

He said farmers needed to register with Botswana Animal Information and Traceability System (BAITS) to benefit from the programme.

He also urged them to apply for keeper identity cards and to have toilets in their farms to prevent the spread of diseases such as measles.

With 30 different packages, he said Thuo Letlotlo was an inclusive programme that gave every Motswana the opportunity to venture into livestock farming.

For her part, Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Beauty Manake urged Selebi Phikwe community to apply for government programmes to improve their livelihoods.

She said government had done everything to help Batswana create their own wealth and employment.

Ms Manake confirmed that she benefitted from ISPAAD and LIMID.

Temo Letlotlo coordinator, Mr Kwenantle Gaseitsiwe also urged them to apply for Temo Letlotlo to diversify the agriculture sector and to ensure food security.

He said the programme had a lot to offer Batswana, emphasising that it also assisted farmers with fencing and borehole drilling. ENDS