21 Feb 2018

Moshupa Sub- council chairperson, Mr Sonny Phiri says only 69 farmers have ploughed 265.69 hectares, compared to 17 046.91 hectares ploughed in the previous ploughing season.

Mr Phiri said this during the Sub- district council session on Monday, adding that even though the current ploughing season only just ended recently, a few fields had been ploughed due to insufficient soil moisture content.

Mr Phiri said 2 509 farmers were issued with agricultural inputs, being seeds, fertilizers and herbicides under the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agricultural Development programme.

Mr Phiri however decried that 8.813 tonnes of sorghum were left unutilised due to farmers’ reluctance to collect the seeds. He said many preferred maize to sorghum.

Mr Phiri also explained that the Livestock Management Infrastructure Development Programme (LIMID) experienced delays due to shortage of funds since October last year. As a result, he said no new projects had been implemented.

He said to date, 610 applications still awaited funding while LIMID backlog had been reduced from 19 packages to 10 packages to be issued to five Tswana chicken projects.

Mr Phiri has therefore pleaded with service providers to ensure prospective beneficiaries are assisted at the earliest convenience.

Mr Phiri also said availability of forage for bees had resulted in better production of 0.35 tonnes of honey harvested by 12 farmers from 19 colonies against the target of  0.02 tonnes.

He said the past rains had brought about an increase in the number of wild colonies and a subsequent  increase in the number of bee farmers. ENDS