17 Feb 2019

Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Markus Konstantinos says his ministry encourages irrigated farming along rivers and dams through its extension service.

Answering a question from Member of Parliament for Francistown South, Mr Wynter Mmolotsi, Mr Konstantinos said his ministry had provided electricity to 29 farms in the Ditladi/Gulushabe horticulture cluster.

Mr Konstantinos said a perimeter fence had been constructed for Gulushabe rainfed cluster situated along the Shashe River. Additionally, he said there were irrigated crop production activities along Limpopo, Notwane, Motloutse, Tati and Metsimotlhabe rivers.

He explained that to avoid pollution of water bodies due to agricultural practices, farming along Shashe, Letsibogo, Ntimbale and Gaborone dams was restricted as those provide water for domestic use only. Mr Konstantinos further said that the ministry had water rights for irrigation purposes at Lotsane and Thune dams.

He also stated that the ministry had embarked on several initiatives as a way of promoting fish farming, adding that fish farming projects were being implemented in Letsibogo, Dikgatlhong and Thune dams.

Mr Mmolotsi had asked the minister to state what the ministry was doing to encourage farming along rivers and major dams like Shashe, Letsibogo and Ntimbale dams in Botswana. ENDS