15 May 2019

Despite all the effort that government has put in developing the agricultural sector, the results have not been impressive, the Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Fidelis Molao, has said.

Mr Molao was officiating  at his ministry’s stakeholder consultative workshop on developing a National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) under the African Union’s (AU) Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) recently.

The CAADP represents the African continent’s roadmap for agricultural development and advocates for greater participation and inclusiveness in planning for agricultural development.

Botswana, he said was still experiencing a high import bill as a result of deficits in most of food commodities.

“The situation makes us vulnerable to food insecurity, especially under the current challenges of climate change which further exacerbates the production environment,” he said.

However, the minister said, the situation was not unique to Botswana, as it occurred in other countries in the Southern region “and indeed the African region as whole was challenged when it comes to issues of food security.”

Minister Molao commended the workshop organisers, saying it was important as it was a continuation of the country’s commitment to Malabo declaration.

He also stressed that government was committed to the transformation of the agricultural sector, adding that “the final NAIP will be presented to Parliament and if approved it will form part of the NDP 11 for the sector.”

“We have a quest to create jobs and ensure food security and it is only when we succeed in our transformation strategy that we could realize better performance results,” he added.

Giving an overview on the role of Agriculture on Socio-Economics Development, National Consultant Dr Howard Sigwele said there was great potential in Agriculture in Botswana to meet the objectives of Malabo Declaration, AU Vision 2063, Botswana Vision 2036 and NDP 11.

This, he said required concerted and coordinated efforts to channel both public and private sector investment in priority areas based on comparative advantage.

Further, with the possible adoption and incorporation of a revised NAIP, Dr Sigwele said by Parliament in Botswana, the sector could increase its contribution to the economy, reduce poverty, hunger, unemployment ‘if sustained production and productivity are maintained.’

The three days stakeholder workshop was meant to design a comprehensive NAIP that builds on existing public programmes and projects and private sector investment to assist Botswana to achieve some of her development objectives through a productive and integrated agricultural sector. ENDS