12 Oct 2020

Hydroponics may just be the future approach to horticultural farming, particularly for commercial farmers, who need to produce large quantities.

In an interview recently, the acting director of the Department of Agricultural Research and Horticulturist, Mr Douglas Machacha said hydroponics was a method of growing vegetables without need for soil.

Mr Machacha said since Botswana was a dry country, it might be advisable for farmers to consider implementing hydroponics since it was efficient in water usage.

He stated that hydroponics also conserved moisture since water that was required by the plant, is only applied to the roots as opposed to applying water to the soil where some of it is lost through evaporation.

He, however, said the method was not easy to implement because it was highly technical and expensive, adding that one needed to have special equipment and expertise to set it up.

Mr Machacha said if implemented properly, hydroponics’ benefits could be immense, adding that farmers who aspired to venture into it should first equip themselves with the requisite knowledge to ensure continuity and sustainability.

He reiterated that since many farmers in Botswana were not acquainted with this method of farming, it was critical to first inform themselves about it to avoid the dire repercussions.

For his part, the founder of Botswana Hydroponics Group, Dr Douglas Rasbash noted that there had been great interest in hydroponics, as evidenced by the number of people who have joined the group.

Dr Rasbash, who is also and the Vice Chairman of the Botswana Climate Change Network, said the main aim of the group was to raise awareness about hydroponics as it does not require vast land.

He said hydroponics farming can be more beneficial in drought prone countries, urging Batswana to take advantage of it, adding that water needed is only about 10 per cent of that for soil based farming.

Furthermore, he said hydroponically grown plants have 30% more protein and less fibre and are nutritionally more efficient.

Dr Rasbash said for Botswana, this method of farming provides the best possible basis for the agriculture sector to shift away from the traditional soil based farming.

He said since it required skills more akin to science and technology, it has the capacity to create jobs for educated young people, adding that the system was also recommendable in this era of climate change.

He implored government to include hydroponics in agricultural policies and strategies and place it on the agenda of discussions. ENDS