08 Jan 2015

Despite government assistance through programmes such as the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD), farmers are not utilising the programme to the maximum, says Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Patrick Ralotsia.

Addressing Kgomokasitwa and Gamogapinyana farmers committees this week, Mr Ralotsia said the government’s initiative to improve the livelihoods of Batswana through ISPAAD was aimed at improving food security and promoting sustainable economic diversification and reducing destitution.

He noted that in Kgomokasitwa about 8 000 hectares of land could have been ploughed during the current season, but that only 282 hectares had been ploughed. Mr Ralotsia noted that programmes such as ISPAAD could take arable farming to greater heights.

He also noted that the government has injected a lot funds into the agricultural sector in order to help Batswana to produce more food. He urged residents to form clusters to benefit from ISPAAD.  He also appealed to farmers who did not utilise their lands to rent them out to other people who were in dire need.

Mr Ralotsia further urged the youth to be active in farming so that they could resuscitate the spirit of arable farming after their parents had retired. The assistant minister noted that the main aim of ISPAAD was to expand arable farming through the five components of cluster fencing, provision of portable water, provision of seeds and fertilizers and provision of draught power and herbicides.

Mr Ralotsia also implored farmers to diversify the agricultural base and to venture into dairy, egg, animal feeds and bee productions. On animal health, the assistant minister said there were vaccines which were administered free of charge and encouraged farmers to use them.  He complained about idle fields, unfenced fields and inactive farmers committees as well as people who plough fields and abandon them.

In order to monitor the progress or regress of ISPAAD, Mr Ralotsia urged extension officers to keep records for each farmer. For his part, Kgomokasitwa farmers committee chairperson, Mr Klaas Kgosiemang decried the lack of volunteerism amongst farmers.

In his response, Mr Ralotsia urged them to cooperate in any endeavour they partake so that government programmes could be successful. On another issue, the assistant minister appealed to civil servants to up service delivery. ENDS