11 Jan 2018

Communities in Shoshong constituency have been advised to heed the call made by business experts and engage in agriculture related projects.

Addressing kgotla meetings at Shoshong and Bonwapitse recently, Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Dikgang Makgalemele said agriculture had the potential to empower and improve the livelihoods of people in the constituency.

He said business experts, who had graced the Shoshong annual business expo in 2017, had advised that agriculture related businesses could thrive in the constituency.

Mr Makgalemele said projects in bee keeping, dairy farming were on the list of potential enterprises made by the experts.

Mr Makgalemele, therefore urged the community to take advantage of government policies and programmes aimed at encouraging agriculture enterprises and kickstart projects with the potential to create employment and reduce poverty.

He said government had for long been providing the community with information on how to start their own businesses and improve their livelihoods.

He said it was time for them to act.

Mr Makgalemele said the annual business exposition had assisted the community in identifying the potential of their location in terms of agricultural endeavors.

He therefore urged the community to work hand in hand with the Village Development Committee (VDC) and provide them with ideas that could help in the areas identified.

Mr Makgalemele said it was important for VDC to engage in sustainable income generating projects.

Mr Makgalemele also advised the community of Shoshong to bare in mind that ipelegeng only offered temporary employment.

Therefore, he said it was not important to appeal for the increase of people engaged under the programme.

Infact, he said ipelegeng must empower the community to come up with ideas aimed at creating long term employment and fighting poverty.

“My intention is to see people graduating from ipelegeng and engaged in individual and viable projects”, he said.

He said a decision had been taken by the constituency leadership to offer those engaged in Ipelegeng training to help them graduate and start their own businesses.

He said communities in his constituency must focus on special projects in five key areas of creating employment through agricultural projects, fight poverty, create employment opportunities, help in reducing crime and contribute fully in improving education.

In relation to ploughing, Mr Makgalemele advised the community not to despair and remain hopeful that there would be rain soon adding that they  must plant crops that ripen early.

Responding to some residents who have asked to be allowed to use the traditional method of broadcasting seeds due to shortage of row ploughing implements, Mr Makgalemele said he preferred row planting as the aim was to improve food production.

“Even though we are likely to receive rains late as we have been of recent receiving extreme high temperature, row planting is more productive,” he said.

He further appealed to farmers to derive means of harvesting rain water and even use irrigation system as dry ploughing was challenged by unpredictable weather conditions. ENDS