16 Mar 2021

Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Ms Beauty Manake has urged women to play a productive and visible role in securing food for the nation.

When officiating at the International Women’s Day Commemoration hosted by Nutri Feeds in Pilane on Monday, the assistant minister said this could only be attained if women were supported, mentored, trained and encouraged to venture into agribusiness.

Ms Manake said this year’s theme: Choose to Challenge, challenged women to play a productive and visible role in securing food for the nation.

She said although there were number of things to celebrate about women in this country, there was more to challenge for change to be visible in the plight of women in the agribusiness space. Ms Manake also acknowledged the leadership of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi for his affirmative effort to empower women in leadership positions, noting that the President was showing commitment to combating any power imbalances and social norms that cloud culture towards women attaining an inclusive nation.

Furthermore, Ms Manake appreciated Nutri Feeds’ endeavour of providing an extension team to mentor small businesses in poultry and piggery production by ensuring they farm for profit.

She said Nutri Feeds’ choice of supporting Mosadi Peo was a challenge for members to change the status quo in the agricultural space further adding that the organisation was a symbol of dynamic woman leadership and the much-needed collective effort by women to fully utilise opportunities availed.

“It is through lobbying by such organisations that the ministry is held accountable in considering gender equity in the distribution of resources. 

Therefore, we are committed as a ministry to make it easy for all women in the sector to progress and benefit from our various programmes such as Impact Accelerator Support (IAS) programme,” said Ms Manake. 

She however said as the country was still a net-importer of chicken meat in the form of special cuts and high-value processed products, women must take advantage of these leakages and venture into competitive value addition and commercial food processing enterprises.

When giving a brief overview of Mosadi Peo, one of its members Ms Pearl Ranna said it was a programme that empowered and supported women of all demographics who were in the agribusiness in Botswana.

She said the programme was launched in October 2020 after an extensive research was carried out over the past few years on how best food security could be improved through engaging women in Botswana.

She said so far, there were over 150 women who were registered in the programme. “The programme is focused on four divisions in the agricultural sector being crop, dairy, small-Stock and poultry Production. 

We chose these four sectors because of the potential and opportunities that are there in Botswana and beyond,” she said. Ends