29 Aug 2024

Legislators have on Tuesday voted 16 against 14 in a motion requesting government to consider assisting farmers to drill boreholes in their ploughing farms in order to promote food security and self-sufficiency.

The vote came after a lengthy debate of a motion proposed by Member of Parliament for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi, who expressed his disappointment arguing that some legislators focused on rejecting than being appreciative.

Mr Mmolotsi argued that the motion was relevant because there was currently no programme which aimed to drill boreholes for arable farming but only those that catered for mixed farming.

“Thuo Letlotlo is meant for livestock production and therefore, there is no way that one would use the programme to drill a borehole at a field for arable farming.
Individual farmers are not able to benefit as the available components of providing water at arable farmers is only meant for clustered farmers,” he argued.

He was also of the view that drilling boreholes for arable farmers would make Temo Letlotlo successful.

Earlier during the debate, Leader of the House, His Honour the Vice President, Slumber Tsogwane argued against the motion, saying currently, farmers were allowed to use their field for various agricultural activities.

“Therefore, saying there is no programme catering for the motion calls for is misleading because the available agricultural programmes were designed to serve all agricultural needs including provision of water. Borehole drilling for clustered farmers is also available even though it was not included under Temo Letlotlo,” Mr Tsogwane said.

Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Fidelis Molao also dismissed the motion saying Temo Letlotlo and Thuo Letlotlo allowed for double dipping.

“What one has got under Temo Letlotlo will be augmented through another package under Thuo Letlotlo,” Hon. Molao said.

Contributing to the debate, Mr Polson Majaga of Nata-Gweta said government was currently drilling boreholes for almost all agricultural activities that required water.

“Temo Letlotlo and Thuo Letlotlo are well articulated to cover all farming needs and to address all challenges of the nation including employment creation through resuscitation of cooperatives and syndicates,” he said.

Kgalagadi South MP, Mr Sam Brooks said the introduction of Temo Letlotlo and Thuo Letlotlo which included a package for water reticulation had seen clustered farmers coming forward to drill boreholes and reticulate water for various farming activities.

Mr Brooks rejected the motion arguing that it focused on what was already a package under the two newly introduced farming programmes. “Let us encourage farmers to utilise Thuo Letlotlo and Temo Letlotlo to drill boreholes and reticulate water for their framing activities,” he said.

Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi of Mmadinare said through Thuo Letlotlo, government was committed to provide sustainable, reliable and good quality water for livestock production.

Mr Molebatsi said government had gone beyond drilling boreholes as it had incorporated desilting of dams and even reticulating water from rivers.  

Again, he said farmers in communal land were encouraged to form agricultural marketing associations.

“Provision of water is meant to augment the little that is received from rainfall owing to challenges of climatic conditions,” he said. ENDS