10 Dec 2020

Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Ms Beauty Manake says efforts are being  made to develop infrastructure that links production centres in the Bobirwa area with markets in the Bobirwa Sub-district.

Ms Manake noted that the ministry constructed and handed over the Boasaboapele Horticultural Market to the community in 2008. She said the market had been planned for refurbishment this year through the economic recovery transformation plan.

Ms Manake also said her ministry was committed to funding the electrification of farms along the Motloutse River through the utilisation of the European Union facility at a cost of P9.9m.

She said the project consisted of a 42km power line. She noted that another power line servicing Selebi Phikwe farms was also developed and targeted 44 farmers occupying 800 hectares of land.  She added that the project was completed in February 2018.

She noted that to date 39 farmers have applied for electricity connection while 22 have paid and were connected.

She said 11 farmers were under production using electricity, with seven in Bobonong and four in Selebi Phikwe, adding that the rest of the farmers were raising working capital to revive production.

Ms Manake also said the ministry was planning to gravel the 24km Bobonong/Mosalakwena road during the 2020/2021 financial year.

She explained that the tender was at the evaluation stage when all roads activities were halted to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, Ms Manake said there were plans to divert water from Thune Dam; including an irrigation project for Molema Trust covering an area of 105.5 hectares and irrigation project for a private investor covering 305 hectares.

Bobonong MP, Mr Taolo Lucas had asked the minister to state efforts made in the Bobirwa Sub-district to develop infrastructure that linked production centres in the area with markets or major trading centres in the sub-district.

He wanted to know if there were any plans to develop road infrastructure that linked Bobirwa villages with major farming areas in the district.

He also inquired whether there were any plans to divert water from Thune Dam for use in agricultural projects, especially at places where pipelines from the dam passed in close proximity to farming areas. Ends