17 Sep 2015

The Member of Parliament for Ramotswa, Mr Samuel Rantuana, has promised to help revive Ramotswa agricultural show. Mr Rantuana expressed this when addressing farmers in Lesetlheng lands recently.          

The MP said it had been ages since the aricultural show was held therefore there is need to revive the exhibition. He said he has already consulted stakeholders such as bogosi, south east district council secretariat and the district commissioner who all acceded to the request.           

Mr Rantuana said the agricultural exhibitions helped famers to network.          

Furthermore, he said agricultural shows provided a platform for farmers to market and sell their produce. In addition, the Ramotswa legislator told his constituents that the previous sitting of parliament had agreed to exempt Botswana Meat Commission from paying tax.           

He said Parliament had approved that farmers would instead be taxed four per cent of every beast sold to the commission.            

Mr Rantuana added that parliament has also passed the Land Policy which seeks to address land issues. However he said the policy had some loopholes as it allowed people who obtained land fraudulently to continue to keep such land.          

For his part, Lesetlheng Farmers Committee chairperson, Mr Silas Motswagae, said farmers appreciated the LIMID and ISPAAD programmes. He decried that some lands in their area are unutilised.           

For his part, Malete Land Board public relations officer, Mr Michael Lebodi encouraged farmers to register their fields and residential plots under LAPCUS. He said their target is to have completed the registration process by the end of next year. Mr Lebodi further added that Malete Land Board has started to receive applications for residential plots in order to create a waiting list. 

During comments, residents applauded the MP for promising to bring back the agricultural show.            

Other farmers expressed unhappiness over the decision to have farmers taxed for selling their cattle to Botswana Meat Commission. Ends