04 Mar 2021

Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security has created production packages.

The packages will come in the form of an Impact Accelerated Subsidy to increase production by smallholder farmers in Dairy, Aquaculture, Apiculture, Horticulture including vegetables & fruit tree production, smallstock as well as poultry, in the Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan (ERTP) period.

This was said by Minister Karabo Gare when answering a question from Serowe North MP, Mr Baratiwa Mathoothe in Parliament.

Mr Gare highlighted that they also ‘have an Impact Accelerated Subsidy (IAS) through which a beneficiary is expected to contribute 50 per cent, while the facility provides the remaining 50 per cent as a grant towards the cost of a project.’

He told the House that the facility was administered through CEDA, and that they were also implementing the Industry Support Fund (ISF) facility administered by National Development Bank (NDB).

“Through this facility, government has availed P100 million for the agriculture sector and the money is available interest-free and we have ensured that it is easy for many farmers to access this Facility. The funds are meant to cushion farmers and other agri-value chain players against the effects of the COVID- 19 pandemic,” he said.

Mr Gare pointed out that the ministry was promoting commercial fodder production through cluster production under the ISPAAD Tweaking programme.

Fodder production clusters, the minister said, would be established in strategic locations countrywide to support livestock production.

Currently, the ministry has identified Tonota and North West District as the first clusters to be established under the ERTP for 2021/2022 financial year, he said.

Those clusters, Mr Gare said, would be facilitated to establish fodder banks for storage of fodder from the cluster produce.

MP Mathoothe had asked the minister to state when they would assist smallholder dairy farmers to increase their production capacities by providing them with an accelerated business subsidy and interest-free loans, which would be administered through NDB.

He also asked when the development of fodder banks in strategic locations for the cattle industry would commence and which strategic locations were those. ENDS