14 Dec 2020

National Development Bank (NDB), in partnership with Thari Communications, recently hosted the inaugural NDB annual small stock expo 2020 at Stockman farm in Tlokweng. 

Speaking during the event, the Assistant Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Dumezweni Mthimkhulu assured farmers that their efforts would bear fruits, as the government would continue to source markets.

He further implored experts, who attended the event, to continue guiding and inspiring small stock farmers to adopt smart farming techniques, that would assist in producing high quality animals. 

The assistant minister highlighted that the event was in line with President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s aim to turn Botswana into a small stock hub in the region. He said the event also offered professionals an opportunity to meet and discuss the small stock sub sector, with a view to charting a way forward

Mr Mthimkhulu noted that at independence, agriculture contributed almost 50 per cent of GDP and had now declined to two per cent, in the last financial period. He said the government had since taken the bold decision, through different programmes and initiatives, to see agriculture return to its rightful place. 

He applauded NDB and its partners for ‘the foresight and resourcefulness’ to organise the event and also thanked the bank for the #FeedTheNation campaign, which was meant to revamp agricultural sector.

He said the initiative was in line with government’s aim to attain food security, increase employment levels and in the process; attain economic diversification.

Mr Mthimkhulu said the COVID-19 pandemic had heightened the need to attain food self-sufficiency, as evidenced by the closure of borders in the early days of the pandemic. He said the pandemic thus provided an opportunity for local producers to emerge and to take advantage. 

For her part, NDB Chief Executive Officer, Ms Lorato Morapedi noted that the bank believed that smart farming was the solution to mitigating challenges presented by climate change, as well as casual farming practices, hence the Letsema Strategy 2019-2022, which promoted innovative and smart agriculture.

The exposition, she said, marked the beginning of an exciting journey, which would liberate and transform the sub-sector.

Ms Morapedi indicated that through the exposition and many other initiatives, they embarked on, agriculture would be elevated to its rightful place in contributing towards GDP. 

“We would change the perception on small stock from being a casual activity to a commercial activity,” she added.

She said to show commitment to #feed the nation campaign, currently 60 percent of NDB’s disbursements budget was towards agriculture, given the importance that the sector could play in economic growth. 

She noted that the demand for goat meat and mutton, both locally and internationally, was creating the needed motivation for farmers to venture into the sub-sector.

NDB, she said, had set itself a target of creating 4 000 new jobs and financing 1 000 new commercial agricultural or related projects by 2022.  The event was held under the theme: Smart farming…. Your Key to Food Security’.ends