05 May 2019

Mosisedi Commercial Farmers have been urged to come up with methodologies of combating climate challenges.

Speaking during Mosisedi harvest day on May 3, the Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane said farmers did not harvest much due to high temperatures and late rainfall. Therefore, he expressed need to find adaptation and mitigation interventions that would ensure success, despite worsening state of the climate.

He said  farmers should be aware  that drought was no longer an emergency, but a norm, hence the need to pursue latest technological farming methods.

“Conservation agriculture is no longer a choice but a necessity. Let us ensure that during off season, we conserve moisture that we can build into the next ploughing season,” he said. Mr Tsogwane said since government  was committed to the growth of agriculture, it would continue to give necessary support to the farmers. 

Mosisedi chairperson, Mr Quett Rabai, said in the last ploughing season, they suffered two disasters in a row; a heat wave in February and an early frost in the first week of May. On other issues, Mr Rabai commended government for the Agriculture Credit Guarantee Scheme(ACGS) insurance.

He said ACGS was determined by thorough assessment of the impact of the natural disasters on crop production.

However, it was not beneficial because immediately after the assessment was carried out, the natural disasters hit them.

He pointed out that farmers were unable to pay their seasonal loans. 

For his part, Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) chief executive officer, Mr Thabo Thamane, indicated that they were aware of these challenges and assured  farmers that CEDA would come up with measures to assist. 

Botswana Marketing Board chief execuive officer, Mr Leonard Morakaladi, also assured farmers of continued support. 

He said even though there was no  harvest due to the natural disasters, they were willing to purchase sillage to boost commercial farmers. ENDS