29 Jun 2014

Crop production director, Mr Galeitsiwe Ramokapane, recently applauded farmers in the Tonota east area for embracing technology and realising that it can play a critical role in development and enhance their overall growth and productivity. 

Officially opening the harvest day ceremony at Dikogo lands on June 26 Mr Ramokapane said farmers were committed to take farming into a business that could create employment for other Batswana.

“Farmers must be commended for using modern farming technology to increase their produce. I am confident that as farmers you will collectively identify your challenges and turn them into opportunities in order to commercialize agriculture,” he said.

He also encouraged farmers to participate in different government programmes such as Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD), Agricultural Service Support Programme (ASSP), and Poverty Eradication Schemes.

He revealed that under ASSP, 50 farmers were identified last season in the Tonota sub-district, 25 of which were from Tonota East and encouraged to plant two hectares of sorghum each.

He said the farmers produced 1000 kg of sorghum per hectare. He further said this year 250 farmers have been identified for the program, 100 of which are from Tonota East. Mr Ramokapane said government intends to use agriculture to improve household and national food security, create employment and eradicate poverty.

He added that the theme of the event “revolutionising the Agric-business” was fitting because many Batswana were now turning farming into a business that can create sustainable employment and improve food security.

He encouraged farmers to use the programmes offered by government to address challenges facing arable farmers and the inherent low productivity of the arable sub-sector.

For his part, Umbrella Farmers Committee chairperson Mr Nchenje Mogapi said one of the key solutions to the threat of worsening hunger is to increase investment in poor farmers.

Mr Mogapi said according to the department’s agro-ecological zones, Tonota sub-district has potential to achieve high yields on, lab lab, cowpeas, cereals and horticulture.

He also encouraged all farmers to invest in agriculture as it is the best weapon against hunger and poverty. At the ceremony, the farmers also donated 16 bags of sorghum that would be donated to the less privileged in Tonota village. ENDS