22 Mar 2015

Ministry of Agriculture constructed a P2.6 horticultural market at the Francistown Central Business District in 2000/2001 to facilitate marketing of horticultural produce.

Assistant minister, Mr Fidelis Molao told Parliament it was in September 2001, when an agent was engaged to run it for two years and the market was then handed over to farmers who ran it from 2003 – 2009, and later indicated that they were unable to run it due to limited operational funds.

Mr Molao said the ministry on two occasions had tried to hand over the market to Francistown City Council (FCC), but in vain.

She said the market had now been offered to Botswana Horticultural Market to serve as a Satellite Market in the north.

The assistant minister was responding to MP for Francistown West, Mr  Mr Ignatius Moswaane, who had asked the minister if he was aware that government spent a lot of money to build the Horticulture Market at the Central Business District that had not been used for more than ten years.

He also wanted to know why the ministry could not hand over the market to FCC. ENDS