01 Sep 2019

Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security has officially handed over the Domboshaba cluster project in Kalakamati to  residents.

Delivering a keynote address at the handover recently, Kgosi Maruje III of Masunga said when government introduced ISPAAD in 2008 it was well received by Batswana because it answered their outcry on their shortcomings in farming.

Kgosi Maruje III stated that joint ventures and cooperation were key in cluster projects, otherwise this initiative would fail.

He called on Kalakamati residents to welcome experts and investors who might have interest in the project to convert it into a business model.

Kgosi indicated that the cluster project should form part of the community development plans for it to be successful.

Kgosi Maruje III said Kalakamati residents should emulate Masunga cluster and raise funds for debushing the land instead of depending entirely on government.

He said farming improved food security.

“Don’t sit and wait for government to spoon feed you, be initiative and proactive.”

He said the Domboshaba Cluster was fortunate because they had streams within their cluster, which would be converted into reservoirs.

Kgosi said they should be civil in dealing with applications from people not residing in Kalakamati for allocation for the vacant spaces in the cluster.

Giving an overview of the cluster, the chairperson Mr Ernest Masala said cluster fence had encapsulated all the kalakamati farms within one large fence totalling 2 241.85 hectares.

He noted that now that the cluster had been fenced, farmers should show their commitment and manage the land.

Mr Masala said P1 million was used to purchase equipment and materials for fencing the land following an assessment from Kalakamati people with the help of Ministry of agriculture.

The chairperson highlighted that they had to split their cluster into two blocks because of the tarred road passing between Kalakamati and Masunga.

He stated that the main challenge was that there were many rivers and streams that pass through the cluster, hence they requested that government should help them formulate ideas on how those streams could be utilised in farming.

Mr Masala said cluster fencing was a development that needed to be applauded because when a group of people gather in an already fenced place, they were bound to produce good yields because they would motivate one another.

He further stated that the cluster was a legacy for Kalakamati future generations as they would take over from what their parents and come up with more innovative ways of farming.

ISPAAD advisor from the ministry, Mr Kwenantle Gaseitsiwe said that the land would be able to produce crops for commercial farming because of its vastness.

He said the Domboshaba was in the scale of a commercial cluster, therefore it would be sad if that huge chunk of land did not benefit Kalakamati people and ultimately the country at large.

Mr Gaseitsiwe said Botswana was experiencing shortage of maize, sorghum and beans, adding that last year, government spent P7 billion to import food, which meant that those funds created jobs in foreign countries.

The ISPAAD advisor revealed to farmers that farms within the cluster would be demarcated and remapped so that the farms sit in a uniform manner.

Kgosi Jenamiso Tshupoeng of Kalakamati thanked the ministry for facilitating the cluster fencing project, which he said encouraged residents to strengthen their efforts and assist government.

He stated that elephants were posing a danger to the fence, which meant they had to keep on making repairs.

Kgosi Tshupoeng applauded his people for showing commitment to the project, adding that such was proof that joint ventures were able to produce commendable results.

The Kalakamati cluster project is the 33^rd to be completed in Botswana. Ends