02 Dec 2020

Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Ms Beauty Manake has reiterated government’s stance on building capability and capacity on food production for local subsistence farmers. 

Responding to President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s address on December 1, Ms Manake said there were many smallholder farmers in Botswana, and that it was high time they were assisted to commercial scale. 

The specially elected MP said with initiatives such as impact accelerated, the government would be able to assist the farmers to move into the right direction. 

She praised projects such as the Zambezi agro-commercial development project as an ambitious endeavour. 

Ms Manake said accelerated subsidies would push Botswana’s smallholder dairy farmers into the correct path. 

She said with the passion they had shown in dairy farming, they would be able to increase their production capacity by over 18 per cent. 

She said with the necessary support, MilkAfric as a hopeful natural dairy and milk-producing company, would come out perfect. She noted that the company was partially sponsored by government. 

On aquaculture, Ms Manake said local production currently stood at three per cent, adding that the sector had high technical costs with handsome rewards. 

She urged budding local aquaculture farmers to access subsidies and venture into the sector. She said the fight against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Okavango was under control while in Bobirwa it had been declared a green zone. 

She said government would implement a study that would help avert livestock theft and the spread of FMD. 

She said production zones had been identified across the country and that the SPEDU region had been earmarked for horticulture. She said the small stock initiative by President Masisi was a good gesture. 

She revealed that a supply chain management strategy would be rolled out to assist smallstock farmers to find established markets. 

For his part, Gaborone Central MP, Mr Tumisang Healy said in the midst of economic hardships brought by COVI-19 economic diversification was vital. He thanked educators for a sterling job in the education sector despite unfavourable conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He said the multi pathways announced by the education sector was likely to be a game-changer in Botswana’s education sector, adding that equipping a child with practical skills was a lifetime investment. 

He said financial literacy and entrepreneurship were among modern-day skills that had to be incorporated into the new curriculum. 

Mr Healy proposed that high performing school heads should be given bonuses as an incentive. 

He also pleaded with Parliament to heed his call of revising teachers’ pay structures, saying they were doing a good job of educating every citizen.  Mr Healy also thanked all health sectors who were engaged in the fight against COVID-19. 

He said their selfless attitude spoke volumes about their professionalism which puts the country in a better position as the ultimate destination for health care tourism. 

He said there was a worrying trend of a spike in non-communicable diseases, saying it was an indication of inadequate public education. 

He said if the country could invest more on health care research, there would be a lot on offer locally. 

He said health institutions such as Princess Marina Hospital could benefit more from locally produced innovations.ends