27 Nov 2017

 MmaMabele farmers at Tobela have been urged to speed up construction of a cluster fence covering 1 256 hectares.

The appeal was made by Kgosi Felix Kgamane of Shoshong, who indicated that government had funded the project at the amount of  over P500 000.   

He was speaking at MmaMabele lands when addressing farmers at a community service day organised by Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security employees in the Mahalapye region recently.

He applauded the farmers for forming the cluster as it was a sign of determination and desire to work as a team towards achieving a common goal.

Kgosi Kgamane advised the farmers not to only focus on completing the cluster fence but to also ensure that the land was cleared and fully utilised.

He appealing to the farmers to acquire ploughing implements and engage in modern farming methods in order to get good harvests.

For his part, crop production coordinator for Central District Council, Ms Velemina Pelokgale said the district had 18 cluster fencing projects of which only seven were complete while the rest were ongoing.

 Ms Pelokgale noted that among others challenges, the cluster fencing project were delayed by shortage of funding.

She said the project were funded under ISPAAD, which constantly run short of funds.

However, Ms Pelokgale had assured MmaMabele farmers that all the material required for the construction of the cluster fence would be provided to ensure smooth running of the project.

Ms Pelokgale further appealed to the clustered farmers to engage more human resource to speed up the project.

Mr Alexander Letebele, crop production officer for Mahalapye region said his office was concerned that the project was moving at a snail pace due to shortage of manpower.

Mr Letebele said community service day was intended to assist farmers in erecting the fence and ensure that the project was complete before the end of the ploughing season.

He said the intention was to reserve a day every month to assist the farmers, saying so far only 6.5 km of the 16km perimeter fence was done.

Mr Letebele said the intention to engage more workforce from Tobela was hampered by shortage of transport and therefore urged the few that were currently engaged to be commited and work hard.

Mr Letebele said government was concerned by the low yields even though the numbers of farmers engaged in ploughing and area of land cultivated continued to increase.

He therefore appealed to farmers to commit to improving yields in order to rectify the discrepancy.

Chairperson of MmaMabele Settlement Cluster Fencing, Mr Gaetshwane Monnawaborwa said the cluster fencing project was approved on November 2013, while actual construction of the project started on December 2016.

He said the project was disadvantaged by the delay in delivery of fencing materials.

Mr Monnawaborwa said shortage of manpower was another challenge that delayed completion of the perimeter fence. He however applauded volunteers who were not members of the cluster for their commitment and assistance in erecting the fence.

Mr Monnawaborwa said the cluster was made up of 66 members adding that only 11 people including volunteers were involved in fencing the clustered fields.

Mr Monnawaborwa applauded the assistance from public officers through community service day, saying during the previous ploughing season only 300 hectares out of 1 256 were cultivated adding that most of the land was not cleared  ENDS