19 Feb 2015

Vice President Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi has hailed the Integrated Support Program for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD) which he said has been able to deliver results for the reason that since its inception the country has witnessed increased food production output.

About P730 million has been budgeted for programs; ISPAAD, Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development (LIMID) and Agricultural Support Services Project (ASSP) for financial year 2015/2016, according to the budget proposal presented by Acting Minister of Agriculture Mr Patrick Ralotsia. 

Debating the budget, Mr Masisi said he supported the proposal for reason that ISPAAD results were on the ground. However he called for the programme which supports farmers with farm inputs; hybrid seeds, fertilizers, and herbicides as well as drought power, fencing of fields and others to cast its net wide and encompass other areas, to enable it to be easier to embark on irrigation farming. 

Further he called for Bee keeping to be given much attention for the reason that statistics show that Botswana imports bee products in large quantities which could otherwise be produced locally.

The Vice President appreciated the ministry for addressing horticultural market issues by transforming Botswana Horticultural Market from the agency model to wholesale which he said will encourage Batswana to go into Horticulture as there will be market for their produce.

Mmathethe-Molapowabojang MP, Dr Alfred Madigele also supported the budget. He however said there was need to closely examine whether the “P600 million budgeted for ISPAAD programme alone was giving out the intended results,” adding that the results should be measured in quantifiable terms to give value for money.

Bobonong MP and Minister of Defence Justice and Security Mr Shaw Kgathi said in his constituency farmers harvest was satisfactory but the challenge was that Botswana Agricultural Market producer prices were low which meant that farmers made low returns. 

He decried that Talana Farms in the Tuli Block area was operating poorly and yet it has the capacity to sustain horticultural production and feed the nation, “I want Ministry of Agriculture to visit Talana Farms, it has failed under the BDC, I do not want Talana Farms to close,” he said.

He said Foot and Mouth disease in his area is a challenge that Ministry of Agriculture must devise constructive measures to address it because farmers suffer in the process.  

He said there is no Foot and Mouth fence between Botswana and Zimbabwe boarders and therefore cattle is bound to cross anyhow. He said it therefore becomes unfortunate on the part of farmers because if their cattle may have crossed and is found to have contracted foot and mouth disease government compensates the farmer with P400 which is not enough.

Responding particularly to a statement raised by Mr Ralotsia in which he said the ministry is continuing to search for alternative markets for cattle and beef from the Ngamiland area, Ghanzi North MP Mr Noah Salakae said currently there were was market for such cattle in the Foot and Mouth affected areas. 

He said live cattle in Foot and Mouth affected zones has market in countries such as Namibia where some individual Batswana are currently selling, a market avenue which could be explored by government.

Sharing the same view point with Minister Kgathi, MP Salakae also said that BAMB producer prices were too low and must be increased to enable farmers to benefit. He said it was unfair for the marketing board to make about 100 percent profit from produce bought from Batswana.

Gaborone South MP Mr Kagiso Molatlhegi called for the ministry to encourage ecofriendly methods of generating energy adding that more research should be done to improve conventional environmental friendly ways of generating power for Agricultural purposes citing wind power and solar power adding that farmers have resorted to using diesel which is not environmentally friendly.

He said Botswana has developed Mosi cattle high breed which is said to be drought resistant and profit yielding but he has not seen it in his area calling for more farmers to be sensitised about it.

Further Mr Molatlhegi called for water in the Notwane river to be optimally used, he said government must find ways of recycling it for horticultural purposes in Borolong farms.

Ramotswa MP Mr Samuel Rantuana called for Rehabilitation of dams in his area which could be used for Agricultural purposes. Supporting the budget he said more research needs to be done in order to ascertain which crops are best suited for which environments, adding that under the ISPAAD Programme farmers are given crop seeds across the board without extensive researches being done which can ensure optimal crop production.

Letlhakeng/ Lephephe MP Mr Liakat Karbly decried shortage of agricultural extension officers as well as transport, which he said leads to unsatisfactory service delivery which can also affect output of other government programs. 

Further he said under the ISPAAD programme, some tractor owners in his area have a tendency of cheating clients by tilling the soil and moving into the next client without having completed by planting seeds.

Such tractor owners, he said then demand farmers to signed for payment and yet the fields are not planted. He said the ministry should find ways of dealing with the culprits.  ENDS