15 Mar 2021

With the view to address low productivity in arable farming and promote food security at both household and national levels, government in 2008 introduced the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD).

The programme, a replacement of the then Arable Land Development Programme (ALDEP), features a couple of components including cluster and individual fencing, input and draught power subsidies as well as horticultural assistance amongst others.

When the programme took off, government rallied communities to pick up speed in contributing meaningfully to efforts to help the nation inch closer and closer towards the attainment of self-sufficiency in food, particularly grains.

The clarion call for communities to take up cluster fencing was of particular interest, given that it had the potential to revive as well as promote the spirit of collaboration and unity among residents of different farming localities.

Because these same tenets, alongside others such as Botho, morero, kagisano form the foundational values of the nation and have over the course of time proven key to what communities could achieve when working together as a collective, the success of the cluster fencing component of ISPAAD was likely to once again bring to the fore the importance of collaborative effort that Batswana are known for.

When the call was made for communities to consider cluster fencing for their arable land, some responded positively despite the pockets of dissent that existed here and there.

Several clusters came into being, and presently quite a number of them are in existence across the breadth and width of the country. With clusters such as the Mosisedi and Pandamatenga having already proven their mettle, others are now determined to borrow a leaf from them with the view to replicate their success.

The Mookane cluster in the Mahalapye Sub-district is one such grouping with big dreams for the future.

The village’s farmers committee chairperson, Mr Basimane Mannaesi believes that should the cluster realise the plan that it has on paper, its work will be a marvel to watch and will, in addition to improving the economy of members’ families and that of the entire village, also add on to national efforts to attain food security.

“Our cluster is destined for greatness, and we are happy as the committee leading it that members are rallying behind our dream in good numbers,” he says.

Mr Mannaesi explains that in recent years, an idea was mooted to bring on board investors who could help ensure that the entire hectarage in the cluster is utilised fully and effectively.

“The idea of bringing an investor on board came about when we realised that since agriculture is a capital-intensive undertaking, with just us as residents or members it will take long for our cluster to give us good returns,” he explains, and further indicates that they are currently in talks with the identified investor on the modalities of their proposed deal.

Although he declined to reveal the identity of the prospective investor, the chairperson is optimistic that members of the cluster will be happy with the outcome of the agreement that will come out of the ongoing talks. The few voices of dissent within the cluster are not a major concern to the farmers committee as it believes that such farmers will come on board when the whole project begins to take shape.

“Remember that the idea here is not to disenfranchise our members by taking their land from them.

The plan is for individual farmers to lend to the investor only portions of their land that they are not using.

If a farmer in using the whole of his land and we are happy with his work, we have no reason to persuade him to give it over to the investor,” he elaborates.

According to Mr Mannaesi, the groundwork for the project is underway, with plans to reticulate power to the cluster already afoot.

“We are sourcing quotations that will help us decide whether we go for solar power or we connect to the national grid.

Also, we are working with relevant authorities to ensure that we have good roads for accessing the cluster farm,” he points out.

Another plus that is expected from working with an investor is skills transfer to members, something that when done will ensure that Mookane cluster remains a force to reckon with even in the absence of investors.

“An investor shouldn’t necessarily be an outsider.

Re batla seemo se e leng gore kamoso mongwe wa rona gone mo Mookane mo a bo e nna ene mmeeletsi wa masimo a.

Le bone beng ba masimo a re batla ba anywe dikitso e tle e re ka tsamao ya nako ba kgone go dira temo e e tlhabologileng,” explains Mr Mannaesi meaning that an investor can be anyone even the farmers themselves can come on board as investors.

Mr Keitumetse Lekgoanyane, a member of Mookane cluster, is happy with government’s decision to introduce cluster fencing back then.

He has seen his yield improve since the cluster fence was constructed, and had it not been for members who vandalised it or left gates open giving access to animals, members would be reaping great returns from their farming ventures.

Regarding the issue of having an investor, Mr Lekgoanyane hails the idea as he feels it will ensure that there is no idle land within the cluster fence.

“Mogopolo o o tlaa re berekela thata, segolo jang bangwe ba rona ba ba sa tlholeng ba kgona go lema ka gore lefatshe la rona le tlaa dirisiwa mme le seke le ije fela,” he notes, meaning that cluster fencing will especially benefit those who do not have the means to till the soil as the land will still bring rewards.

While he personally will not be giving up any of his land as his children have shown some interest to till the portions that he has not been farming on, he is hopeful that those who take up the investor’s offer will not be hard done by in any way.

Setting aside the issue of his children wanting to till the land, the old man is a little skeptical about the proposed arrangement, but another voice on the one hand tells him to have some faith on Mookane farmers committee and on the entire leadership of the village. Ends