10 Jun 2019

District crop production officer in Kweneng, Ms Tiyedze Mariri has cautioned farmers in the Boatlaname extension area that a true farmer walked by faith and not by sight nor emotions.

Ms Mariri said this recently during a farm walk organised to appreciate farmers’ efforts in the past ploughing season.

Farmers and agricultural officers visited three selected farms in the Boatlaname extension area to see how they fared in the last ploughing season, given that the area received minimal rains.

Even in the midst of trying times, Ms Mariri never shied away from giving the farmers the much needed moral support, as most farmers ended the season empty handed. She cautioned them that the realities of climate change were right at their door step, hence the need to practice smart agriculture.

She also advised that farmers should take farming seriously and guard their inputs in all their farming activities jealously.

She said the reason why young people shunned agriculture was that their parents were secretive when dealing with issues of financial gains derived from farming. Crop officer Ms Zibanani Motshabi told farmers that the country was grappling with extreme weather conditions, which had led to short ploughing seasons.

She said evidence gathered from the fields was that in the harsh climatic conditions, sorghum crops fared better than other field crops. 

Ms Motshabi therefore encouraged farmers in the area to plant sorghum in large numbers in the next ploughing season because of the success rate.

She further stated that farmers needed not worry about bumper harvests as contract farming arrangements could be made with big suppliers creating a readily accessible market.

Mr Gordon Modukanele from Makhuu cluster fence said government was spending a lot of money on subsistence farming, but was not getting any returns on investment.

 He said some farmers wasted seeds and fertilizers by not putting them to good use. 

Mr Modukanele nevertheless encouraged farmers to plant sorghum and legumes in large numbers. 

He said they planted sorghum for the first time this season in an average of seven millimetre of rain, nonetheless and their sorghum fought hard to resist the harsh conditions and that they were expecting to reap a few bags of sorghum.

Meanwhile, Ms Bontle Molatlhiwa of Makgwarapana lands is one of the few successful farmers this season. She explained that their area received only two good rains early this year. 

She planted early and late January.  To her surprise, her Panaar variety of sorghum and lablab performed well despite scarce rainfall. 

She was happy that at least she would put food on the table and be able to feed her livestock.

This year, about 331 Boatlaname extension area farmers ploughed over 1 200 ha, while in Makhuu cluster fence, only 176 ha were ploughed out of 800 ha ploughable area. The cluster fence has about 1 033 ha of cultivable land. ENDS