24 Jan 2016

Mr Lewaneka Lewaneka of Makwate is one of many Batswana who are heeding government’s call to increase food production through the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD).
He spent most of his life preparing his field for the ploughing season.

Owing to the scarcity of rain this year, he decided to plant beans because they were resistant to harsh weather conditions and did not take long to mature.

“I used to plough beans, water melon and sorghum because they can resist harsh weather conditions such as drought,” he said.

Although he feared that the recent heat wave would have a negative effect on his crops, he hoped for a higher yield. Despite last year’s drought, Mr Lewaneka harvested 10 bags of beans. He sold his produce to the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB).

He encouraged farmers to avoid relocating to the fields only during the planting season. He further requested farmers to look after their cattle during the ploughing season so that they would not stray into crop fields.

He used his own donkeys to plant his field, and time permitting; he intended to use the draught power to plough for others. He adopted the row planting technique and crop rotation, which have over the years helped him realise a bumper harvest.

“Rotating crops of different variety makes the soil more fertile,” he says.
Mr Lewaneka encouraged farmers to liaise with agricultural demonstrators in their respective districts to seek relevant knowledge and methods of proper planting.

He also advised them to form associations to represent their interests, and share ideas and farming techniques with their peers. Ends