24 Aug 2016

The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse has urged Batswana to take farming seriously to save the country high costs of importing food and animals feeds that could otherwise be produced locally.

Addressing kgotla meetings in Ditshegwane and Dutlwe in the Letlhakeng Sub- district on August 23, Mr Autlwetse said this is despite the fact that the countries from which Botswana imported such vital products as maize and sorghum had a similar soil type and environment to the local one, meaning that the country could easily produce for itself.

“We are aware that for the past two seasons there has been inadequate rainfall in the country, but this is not an excuse for failure to produce because even in years of good rains, our local harvest has always been low,” he said.

He said the area south of the Dibete cordon fence used to be a haven for farming, but said such deteriorated with time until the country was now too dependent on its neighbours.

“Depending on our neighbours is a risky affair because we never know when they will close their doors on us. So it is better we stand up for ourselves more so that we have the potential to produce enough to even export,” he said.

Mr Autlwetse said that apart from being vital in food security, the agricultural sector also had the potential to create employment for many Batswana. He therefore urged farmers to remain hopeful and plough in large numbers should this season’s rains be adequate.

Mr Autlwetse also urged farmers that in this era of drought they should sell some of their cattle, especially oxen in order to buy feeds for the others. He said this would also in a way maintain a reasonable stock and save the pasture from degradation.

Mr Autlwetse also expressed concern at the lack of care of government- funded projects such as LIMID, saying most of the time the beneficiaries would claim that the animals they were given had perished either to diseases or predators.

“The irony of it however is that animals of neighbours who have not been funded by government would be thriving,” he said.

He also indicated that he had confidence in government initiatives such as LIMID as neighbouring countries such as Namibia had even visited to benchmark and implement them to a huge success. Ends