19 Mar 2013

MP for Tonota North, Mr Fidelis Molao says successful performance of the agricultural sector has the potential to address the national challenges of food security and poverty.

Addressing farmers at Farm Walk in Borolong Extension Area, Mr Molao pointed out that government had allocated the agricultural sector P1 billion to come up with a support programme intended to boost agricultural production.

He explained that the establishment of service centres through Agricultural Services Support Projects for customer hiring would provide enough draught power for both small scale and commercial farmers to pursue their farming operations to enhance food production.

“I am impressed by the fact that despite the low yields, arable farmers have continued to survive by producing sufficient food to meet the needs of their families,” he said.

Mr Molao encouraged Tlhalogang field crop farmers to adopt agricultural technologies as this was the route to food security.  He also noted that farmers’ walks and field days were important platforms used by agriculturalists to interact and teach various farmers technologies that applied in crop production.

He further stated that these platforms gave farmers the opportunity to meet face to face to dialogue and network about their farming operation’s constraints and successes.

Borolong farmers committee needs to be recognised and applauded for having initiated the field day, Mr Molao stressed.

The legislator pointed out that despite its declining contributions, agriculture remains important as the livelihood of most rural populations depend on it, adding that it also had strong links with the rest of the economy.

Former minister of health, Ms Joy Phumaphi encouraged young people to engage in arable farming instead of roaming around jobless.

She said crop production in Botswana was not doing enough and if everyone participated, we would be in a position to produce enough food for the country.

Ms Phumaphi cited an example of other countries where people were engaged in horticulture to produce beautiful flowers and export them, adding that some were ploughing malaria medicine.

She said all that Batswana needed was to shift from subsistence farming to commercial farming and to take farming seriously as a business.

Kgosi Ismael Molema of Chadibe appreciated the lessons learnt from different speakers and said a field demonstration was a long term educational activity conducted in a systematic manner in farmers’ fields to showcase new practices.ENDS