18 May 2014

Government is committed to farming and will therefore continue to assist those in the horticulture sector.

President Lt Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama said this during the tour of Retsweletse Farmers Association horticulture project located just outside Selebi Phikwe. Farmers requested had government to assist with the electrification of farms so as to enhance and improve production.

President Khama said although the electrification of farms was important to the farming sector, it was expensive and that cattle ranches and fields that were outside the national grid could use solar energy as an alternative. However, he said government would try to assist farmers but he urged those with the means to connect to the grid or use solar power.

On the issue of farmers who, after benefiting from ISPAAD programmes neglected their crops during the ploughing season to work under the Ipelegeng programme, President Khama said the programme was continuous in urban centres where there were no farming activities.

However, he said in places where crop farming was active, the Ipelegeng Development Programme would usually be temporarily put on hold so people could take care of their crops. He encouraged farmers to continue doing the good job they were doing in agronomy to provide food for other Batswana.

Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources, Mr Kitso Mokaila said government had a programme in place aimed at connecting production places with electricity.

The deputy chairperson of the Retsweletse Farmers Association, Mrs Tshoganetso Dema said they acknowledged government for the establishment of SPEDU that was meant to help grow and diversify the economy of the region.

Ms Dema said the project setup in the region would ultimately see the region as a key production area of horticulture. She said projects such as the vegetable processing plant earmarked to be set up in the region would cater or be the market for farmers produce.

“More people will engage in farming if a market is available as currently some people are reluctant to engage in farming due to an unreliable market which in some instances leads to major crop losses,” she said. ENDS