18 Mar 2015

Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB) chief executive officer (CEO), Mr Edison Woto has called for the promotion of indigenous foods. 

Addressing Central District Council (CDC) full council session recently, Mr Woto said it had been proven by the health practitioners that indigenous foods or traditional crops were nutritious and healthy.

Mr Woto said the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) feeding program across the country was a positive move aimed at promoting traditional produce. Traditional foods, he added had been incorporated into schools rations especially primary schools.

Further, he said indigenous produce should be incorporated on food baskets, adding that promotion and support of local produce would improve Botswana’s economy. However, he regretted low yields from local farmers and attributed low yield of local produce to poor farming methods.

Meanwhile, he said his organisation sells quality inputs to famers such as fertilizers, seed and agrochemicals to enhance food production. Mr Woto said they have 11 branches country wide, four in Central District and they were intending to establish two more in the district in coming financial year to bring services closer to arable farmers.

The two branches would be established in Bobonong and Tutume, he added. He noted that as competitors, there was need for BAMB to evolve, adding that recently they rebranded their logo. ENDS