03 Apr 2014

Parliament has been informed that Botswana has benefitted from the Israeli experiences of best agricultural practices.

Responding to a question from the MP for Shoshong, Mr Phillip Makgalemele, Asssitant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi said the areas that Botswana benefitted and realised included capacity building, clustering, one stop service centre (OSSC), technology transfer and adoption, weed control, pest control, intergraded agricultural practices..

He said capacity building through NAMPAADD programme extension officers and farmers were trained on improved production technologies and this had considerably improved the quality of extension service and resulted in an effective service delivery.

He said local counterparts had acquired expertise and continuing to train extension officers and mentor farmers on the best practices for commercial production.

Regarding clustering, the minister explained that as a result of the collaboration, several clusters have emerged and the cluster concept has now been extended to other sectors. Consequently, there is better coordination of extension services and service provision has been efficient while marketing of produce has also improved.

He also said there is synergy between clusters and One-Stop Service Centre adding that clusters make farmers reachable while OSSCs make services accessible to farmers.

Mr Molebatsi explained that these farming models have proved to be beneficial in providing technology to farmers as a package, hence increased production.

The Minister also said the Israelites promoted several soil tillage technologies through NAMPAADD citing an example of dip ripping and minimum tillage which is quite widespread as a water conservation technique for rainfed crop production.

Other technologies, he said, promoted include protected cultivation such as greenhouse production demonstrated at Dikabea and appropriate dairy structures and preservation of feed (silage) at Sunnyside Production and Training Farms (PTFs).

These technologies amongst others, informed conservation agricultural and good management practices. Regarding pest control, the Minister stated that the Israelis experts promoted winter ploughing which breaks the life cycle of pests and timely weed control thereby effectively controlling them and avoid yield loss.

In weed control, Mr Molebatsi said, the integrated approach of using both chemicals and proper tillage systems has significantly put weeds under control particularly in the Barolong area. He said the concept of integrated agricultural enterprises promoted interdependencies amongst enterprises (dairy and fodder production, apiaries and sunflower) hence increasing productivity of sectors.

Mr Molebatsi said specific projects which have been undertaken over the last five years based on Israel’s technologies and farming concept include Karoga cluster in Parakarungu and the Mosi/Sedibeng Cluster in Barolong area which are all very successful.

With regard to technologies and farming concepts based on these experiences that this can be recommended to the Shoshong constituency, Minister Molebatsi said it should be noted that technologies differ with zones, soil types and other variables.

He said information on technologies suitable for Shoshong can be obtained from the Extension Offices for the area, after assessment. However, he said where suitable concepts like clustering is feasible, should be able to improve the situation.

MP Makgalemele had asked the extent to which Batswana has benefitted from experiences of best agricultural practices in Israel given their limited rains, specific projects which he (minister) has undertaken over the last five years based on Israel’s technologies and farming concepts; and technologies and farming concepts based on experiences he recommend to the Shoshong constituency. Ends