17 Jan 2017

The Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology Dr Alfred Madigele has implored Batswana to utilise available government programmes to improve their lives.
Dr Madigele who is also the MP for Mmathethe/Molapowabojang constituency was addressing kgotla meetings at Mosi and Magoriapitse recenlty.

He has implored Batswana to exploit the agricultural sector by adopting strategies that improve and boost food production.

He said although the country was prone to drought, farmers should implement strategies that would obviate the consequences of drought. He said this year they are expecting good rains as it was revealed by meteorology officials.

Dr Madigele urged all stakeholders in agriculture to produce quality products, adding that government was committed to boosting the agricultural sector.

He said some funds would be invested in the agricultural sector through the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP), and that the government would continue implementing the Economic Diversification Drive (EDD) to enhance agriculture.

He added that if agriculture could be adequately exploited, it had the potential for import substitution and anchoring the economy.

He added that the government was channelling a lot of money into the sector. He said the government had tailor-made some programmes with a view to alleviate abject poverty among Batswana.

He was concerned that people underutilised programmes geared towards improving their standard and quality of life. He observed that people could be lacking adequate knowledge about such programmes.

Economic growth, he said, was also necessary to support the government's social welfare programmes.  He said it was for this reason that growth and economic diversification should remain the country's priority.

Economic growth will address developmental challenges that the country faces, he said.

He further said Mosi and Magweraapitse were envisaged to go through a lot of developmental transformations to ensure that there was enough diversification to support development in the area.

He said the draft NDP 11 has clearly defined areas with potential for growing the economy as espoused in the document's key words of employment creation and poverty eradication.

''Indeed Vision 2036 and NDP 11 are intertwined as one of the pillars that of sustainable economic development is addressed. That is where we intend to create employment, eradicate poverty and grow the economy,” he said

Commenting, farmers at Mosi were concerned about being assisted by agricultural demonstrator from Mmathethe, saying they  needed their own officer who will be helping them with agricultural programmes. They complained about shortage of water in Mosi.

The elderly complained about late payment of their old age pension.  BOPA