14 May 2018

Farmers on Tuesday embarked on a walk at Mabudzane to appreciate different types of sweet potatoes, cabbages, lab-lab and green mealies.

The walk at Mr Begin Letsholathebe’s farm, who produces a variety of the crops, was held under the theme: A diversification option towards food security.

Director in the Department of Agricultural Research, Dr Pharaoh Mosupi said the aim of the farm walk was to teach and encourage farmers to plant sweet potatoes because they had a market.

Dr Mosupi noted that currently Botswana imported sweet potatoes from Zambia and South Africa, adding that the North East District was the best for potato production.

He urged farmers to take advantage of soils in their district and become a centre of excellence for potato production.

Horticultural research officer, Ms Mercy Marope said sweet potatoes should be planted around September to November, and that they should be watered only once a week.

Ms Marope also informed farmers that sweet potatoes did not need a lot of fertilizers because it could damage tubers, adding that potatoes also did not require much manpower.

The host farmer, Mr Letsholathebe said the main aim of the visit was to know which variety of sweets potatoes was suitable for the soils of the North East District.

He urged young farmers, who had attended the event in large numbers, to venture into cabbage production since it was in demand, further indicating that cabbage did not need much time as it was watered once at night and sprayed once a week.

In his remarks, councillor for Tsamaya, Mr Isaac Pelaelo reiterated that people could make a living through sweet potato production.

He urged farmers to be patient and put what they had learnt into practice, also challenging farmers to produce sweet potatoes this year. He advised farmers to share what they had learnt with others who did not attend the event.  Ends