01 Aug 2024

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has appealed to large-scale farmers to work with smaller ones so that they can capacitate, mentor and coach them to increase production and maximise utilisation of agricultural land.

He also called for an inclusion of women, youth and people living with disabilities.

President Masisi made the call during the Chobe Agricultural Show in Pandamatenga yesterday,  and said whatever agricultural business they were pursuing, they should integrate them.

He appreciated Pandamatenga Commercial Farmers Association for involving some young farmers saying it would bring in an array of ideas.

“Unity and collaboration among farmers and other related actors is a necessary strategic action for dynamic and sustainable agriculture development,” President Masisi emphasised.

He said government systematically encouraged and promoted cluster production or collaborative activities through Temo Letlotlo and Thuo Letlotlo as enabling and entrepreneurship inclined programmes.

“The programmes  are output-based and are aimed at driving growth of the agricultural sector and improving its contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he said.

 He further noted that the programmes were preceded by an equally strategic intervention dubbed Horticulture Impact Accelerator Subsidy (IAS) fund that provided 50 per cent of financing for all inputs required for each horticultural package a farmer might want to pursue.

Dr Masisi informed the gathering that in the past few years, the agricultural sector had undergone changes and advancements in various agricultural methods and technologies.

On that basis, he said government was committed to developing the agriculture sector with infrastructure such as roads where silos had been developed to enhance production.

“It should be noted that all these are in line with the Botswana’s development plan as well as other global commitments like Malabo Declaration, which targets public and private sector investment in agriculture, improving food security, increasing sectoral output and productivity through diversification and interventions for protecting the environment to ensure sustainability for production,” he said.

President Masisi also indicated that the ideology of food security, meant food produced in Botswana should benefit Batswana and the country first,  before excess, if any could be exported.

He also highlighted the potential for value chain development in Pandamatenga, an area that had been identified as one of the special economic zones in the country harbouring agro-industry development.

The President also stated that the cooking oil processing plants in Botswana, needed the support of Pandamatenga farmers for them to process and produce cooking oil at an affordable price to Batswana.

“We have small scale millers in Botswana who must be supported to stay in business. In this regard, the hoarding of all the sorghum product by the big millers is undesirable and needs to be reviewed, this calls for understanding one another as value chain players,” he said. ends