04 Aug 2014

Government has injected millions of Pula into the agriculture industry in order to ensure that sector becomes a leader at bringing science, innovation and elevated skills to the business of achieving sustainable supply chains, says  Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development, Mr Keletso Rakhudu.

Delivering a keynote address at the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board’s (BAMB) new brand launch, Mr Rakhudu said statistical evidence showed that “our country has experienced consecutive and gradual increase on the land cultivated annually as well as the amount of grain produced.”

“We believe that a renewed investment in our agricultural industry could deliver a significant boost to our economy,” he added. Agriculture, the assistant minister said, was seen as one of the key economic contributors and drivers on the economic growth and huge export potential.

Therefore, he said BAMB was positioned to be a robust organisation that would be at the forefront of the nation’s economic diversification in providing a stable grain market that would be focused on leading, empowering and growing.

He said a strong brand was one of the most valuable asset any organisation could own. Having been established on June 14, 1974, he said BAMB had just celebrated its 40th Anniversary of “feeding the nation, nourishing new life”. Therefore, he said the symbolism of the launch was to mark this journey of 40 years.

The new brand signature, Mr Rakhudu said would communicate growth and hope that BAMB had come synonymous with and was set to catapult to even newer heights.

He therefore called on stakeholders to be active participants and support the new strategy.

“What a more fitting way to mark a milestone at BAMB than to rebrand as a relevant player and evolving in their respective field of practice.

“With our market ever evolving as has been the case in recent years, the change was made due to a number of robust and aggressive competitors and use of a monolithic brand strategy from the assessment made, “he said.
The new brand identity which was visually appealing and fresh, was accompanied by the new look website.
In his welcome address, BAMB board chairperson, Mr David Tibe, said BAMB was mandated to provide a market for locally grown scheduled crops such as; pulses or beans and oilseeds.

To date, Mr Tibe said BAMB had grown both in terms of the number and quality of its professional team. 

He said the organization has; 11 operational depots around the country increased its product portfolio and handle a number of product lines and manage an increased Stabalisation Fund and a higher quality of the Strategic Grain Reserve.

The new logo comprises of a new logo colour scheme that references the green, maintained from the old logo, in the outside circlet and in both the sorghum head and the rows. 

The green, Mr Tibe said reflected “balance and harmony” which signified growth and prosperity. This, he said was also a colour of fertility, regenerations and rebirth.

The gold arch inside the green circlet, he said represented the sun, which symbolised “hope, optimism and energy”. 

This colour curves around the sorghum head which he said was symbolic of the country’s staple food that was stored and protected in a manner equal to the perceived power and strength of the sun. ENDS