22 Sep 2015

The Assistant Minister of Agriculture Mr Fidelis Molao has warned farmers that his ministry will take stern measures by blacklisting farmers who register for the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agricultural Development (ISPAAD), programme and then neglect their fields.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Kgoro in the Good Hope-Mabule constituency, Assistant Minister Fidelis Molao said from the time of ISPAAD inception the ministry had laid it down that such farmers who have not actually taken any action after enlisting for the programme will be blacklisted.

This time around, he said he was going to ensure that the ministry takes up stringent measures and blacklist farmers who neglect their fields after ploughing by not ploughing for them in the next ploughing season and  not supplying  them with either seeds or fertilizers. 

Such farmers, he said, contribute largely to the low yields in the country but producing enough yields means the country would not have to import agricultural products from other countries, he said. 

He said the ISPAAD programme was meant to maximise food production in the country thus ensuring food security. Mr Molao also encouraged farmers to be available when their fields are being ploughed. He said he has realised that farmers have the tendency of “dumping” seeds at their farms and leaving it all to tractor drivers to plough their fields without any supervision which he condemned. 

He also advised the community to utilise the land that they have been allocated and not leave it idle  but they should rather rent it out to those who are capable if they are unable to plough. 

For his part, Cluster Committee chairperson Mr Kagiso Thobogang complained that farmers involved in the cluster fence were not cooperative. He said quite often than not, these farmers leave the gates open thus allowing livestock into the fields. 

He also expressed a concern that some residents vandalised the 1 643 hector fence by removing the fence nuts and peddlers.

 He said he was also concerned that some farmers were not utilising their farms as some of the farms had stayed for quite some time without being ploughed.

In his response to the chairperson’s concerns Mr Molao appealed to the community to desist from vandalising the cluster fence, adding that it is an offence punishable by law.

 He said government has invested a lot of money in the cluster fence provided, and vandalising it was a draw back in the government’s intention of investing in Agriculture. 

He therefore advised the community leadership to report such cases to the police so that the offenders could be brought to book. 

He advised them to desist from letting their livestock into the cluster fence, adding that recent research has proved that the movement of livestock in crop fields even when done after harvesting time, can in one way or the other affect plant growth and therefore advised them rather to cut off the stem of crop and feed them. 

The Assistant minister also advised farmers in the cluster fencing programme to cooperate and abide by the committee set regulations. Ends