02 Jul 2015

Botswana is significantly dependent on imports to meet the demand of tomatoes, as local production stands at only 58 per cent. That is according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Statistics Botswana office. 

A news release from Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) says this therefore offers an opportunity for new entrants to enter the tomato production business. The Glen Valley Horticulture Incubator currently produces 400 metric tonnes per annum (about 3 per cent of the national demand) through a training programme offered to 14 of its clients.

The clients are offered space to produce tomatoes within various production infrastructure available. The produce is then sold to various markets including wholesalers and retail stores. The release states that the import bill shows that tomato importation has been on the rise, from 3 528 tonnes in 2011 to 7 232 tonnes in 2014. 

The Glen Valley Incubator, which has been re-modelled into a training centre, produces tomatoes under a protected environment being the net shades, tunnels and greenhouse, resulting in a high quality produce and consistency supplying the market, as production is all year round. 

The project endeavours to develop entrepreneurs who will set up sustainable enterprises that will generate employment for other Batswana, while at the same time contributing to an increased local output in the horticulture sub-sector. The 14 incubated entrepreneurs will receive this training for one cropping cycle, that is, nine months period, and will graduate thereafter to give way for other entrepreneurs. 

Meanwhile, LEA was established by the 2004 Small Business Act as a Statutory Authority of government. 

It is a coordinated and focused one-stop shop authority that provides development and support services to the local industry needs of SMMEs, encompassing training, mentoring, business plan finalisation, market access facilitation, and facilitation of technology adaptation and adoption. 

It also has incubation programme which is designed to accelerate the successful development of incubated enterprises, through an array of business support resources and services. ENDS