08 Sep 2013

The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi has appealed to farmers who plough under Intergraded Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD) to stop being manipulated by tractor operators who are reluctant to buy ploughing equipment.

Speaking at kgotla meetings in Tswapong South villages, Mr Molebatsi said he realised that most tractor operators who ploughed under ISPAAD told some farmers that it was not possible for them to plough under the programme.

He said tractor operators also told farmers that if they row planted, they would not be able to plough because there were many farmers row planting thus the land would be dry before they ploughed for them. He said they claimed that they would take a lot of time to finish one field if they row planted.

Mr Molebatsi however said tractor operators knew that initially when the ISPAAD programme started in 2008, there were some requirements for row planting and they (tractor operators) asked the government to broadcast because they did not have ploughing equipment.

He said they kept on extending until the government took the decision to compel them to row plant if they ploughed under ISPAAD.

He said out of the P200 million that government was using to plough for farmers under the programme, tractor operators were the ones who benefitted and it was not fair because the programme was designed for farmers to produce their own food.

The assistant minister explained that row planting does not require a lot of time because when you row plant, you plough and later use a planter after the soil is not too wet to be able to plant seeds. 

He encouraged farmers to be focused and listen to the advice from government. 

He said government was taking all necessary measures to uplift farmers in the country.

On other issues, Mr Molebatsi who is also a MP for Tswapong South, said government has reduced prices for livestock feeds in products such as drought pellets, coarse salt, vitamins A and D, Di-Calcium phosphate, molasses and roughage to allow farmers to supplement their livestock during drought. Ends