07 Aug 2013

Crop production in Botswana is hindered by several factors, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi has informed Parliament,

Responding to a parliamentary question on Tuesday, Mr Molebatsi said pest outbreaks such as quelea birds, aphids (nngadule) and corn cricket (setotojane) are some of the factors.

He said during the cropping season of 2012/2013, seven quelea colonies were identified in Shoshong constituency and out of the number, four were successfully controlled while three colonies disappeared before the nest building was completed, hence it could not be controlled.

The assistant minister said quelea was one of the national pests of economic importance which was controlled by government. The ministry, he added, was aware of the occurrence of the cricket and aphids throughout the country during rainy season and dry spells. He said these two pests that were not classified as of economic importance are controlled by farmers, facilitated by technical advice from extension officers.

Mr Molebatsi said the ministry was going to deploy interventions to control pests during 2013/14 cropping season, such as farmer education of pest management, weather forecast to predict outbreaks and to encourage farmers to plough earlier to avoid pest damage.

Other interventions would include the conducting of on farm demonstration on how to control pests and the intensification of surveillance to establish presence of pests, stage of development, stage of crop to be protected and environmental considerations, as well as methods of control to be employed, he said.

MP for Shoshong, Mr Phillip Makgalemele had wanted to know if the ministry was aware that crop production in Shoshong Constituency for the year 2012/2013 ploughing season was frustrated by amongst others nngadule, setotojane and dinonyane and that those were persistent during most ploughing seasons in the constituency.

He also wanted the minister to state scientific interventions that he would deploy for the 2013/14 ploughing season given the various expertise the ministry has.  ENDS