09 Oct 2016

Batswana have been encouraged to adopt commercialised farming to increase food production and create competitive advantages for farmers.

During a kgotla meeting in Mochudi on Thursday (October 6), Assistant Minister of Agriculture Development and Food Security Mr Kgotla Autlwetse said government had taken the responsibility to assist Batswana with programmes aimed at improving agriculture production.

He therefore said it was important that Batswana should take advantage of such programmes as they were meant to improve their lives and the output.

The assistant minister added that farming should not be done the old fashioned way but rather agricultural officers be engaged to help farmers use modern methods of farming that would bear better produce.

Mr Autlwetse said if local farmers could adhere to the call by government to commercialise farming, soon Botswana would be able to have enough produce to be distributed within the country and outside the border.

He further said for the past two years, the country received little to no rains thereby greatly affecting the agricultural sector while on the other hand, government spent a lot of money helping farmers.

“When the situation got tougher, government stepped in to help farmers through among others subsidising cattle feed by 25 per cent,” he said.

Mr Autlwetse said there were hopes for better rains this year as per the department of meteorology report thereby improving the chances of farmers getting better yields.

Nevertheless, the assistant minister expressed worry over some Batswana who were assisted with programmes but were failing to use them to achieve maximum results.

This he said denied an opportunity to other Batswana who could be benefiting while government continued to channel funds that could not be recovered.

“Batswana should start working hard and understand that a man will live by the sweat of his brow. Government is doing all it can to support agriculture as farming can help diversify the economy and create employment,” he said.

In their comments, Mochudi residents expressed concern at the growing trend of stock theft in their area. Mr Tina Mokgethisi said ear tags had not addressed the challenge of stock theft and believed that bolus was better.

Kgosi Montshiwa Mabodisa complained about lack of ear tags in Mochudi saying they were forced to travel to Gaborone to buy the tags.

When giving vote of thanks Kgatleng District chairperson Mr Mpho Morolong said government should consider allowing cattle feeds bought from South Africa to cross at Sikwane border gate for easier access than having to go through Tlokweng which was far from them.

He also asked the assistant minister to consider demarcating Zone 11 to ease disease control but the minister explained to him that government was now concentrating on controlling mostly the hard hit Foot and Mouth Disease North West district and surrounding areas.

Mr Autlwetse concluded that the fences between districts played a critical role in disease control urging farmers to play a role in maintaining them. ENDS