25 Jul 2016

Thirty-three-year-old, Mr George Pheko says the lack of a reliable market for his herbs is giving him sleepless nights.

The budding young farmer from Tlhareseleele ventured into horticulture after he successfully completed a basic horticultural course at Pelotlhetlha Agricultural Training Centre near Kanye in 2011.

Speaking during the Good Hope Sub-district Agricultural Show on Saturday, he said his Youth Development funded business was faced with challenges, and that chief among them was market price fluctuations and unreliability.

“Initially I concentrated on cabbages albeit briefly because they grew stunted perhaps due to unsuitable soil, hence I mooted incorporating herbs into my production as a way to try diversify,” says Mr Pheko.

Mr Pheko said the idea to integrate herbs into his production, although noble, has not borne much fruit because of market unpredictability.

“To try and diversify, I grow herbs such as parsley, coriander, ocra and basil at the farm,” said Mr Pheko.

Mr Pheko said the market was so bad that many businesses, especially shop owners, who were their target market dictate prices and get their herbs almost free.
He added that they have no choice but to give-in to the dictates of the market, leaving them in a dire situation.

His only solace, he said, was the emerging beetroot market which was made possible by the Southern Horticultural Growers Association (SOHOGRA), where members were able to sell their produce to Mr Veg at reasonable prices.

Mr Pheko urged the  government to reconsider establishing a market for vegetable production; something he insists would go a long way in securing the country’s food security.
On others, Mr Pheko complained about escalating costs at farms which he said hampers production. Ends