15 Feb 2022

There is need to work towards a continuous quality supply of horticulture produce, Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) chief executive officer, Dr Racious Moatshe has said.

Speaking at Glen Valley incubation graduation ceremony, in Gaborone on Friday, he said  farmers should rise to the occasion through reinvesting their proceeds not only to support their businesses, but to grow and improve the quality of their products.

He said, ‘it is therefore my sincere hope that the current cohort of graduates will join the production space with the passion and outmost commitment which will in turn yield quality output that can be absorbed in the high worth market.’

Dr Moatshe explained that LEA had, through the Glen Valley horticulture incubator, capacitated prospective and existing horticulture farmers with the aim of empowering them to run sustainable and competitive businesses.

The programme, therefore, played a critical role in supporting and ensuring that government efforts bore fruits.

He said the Glen Valley incubator had to date produced over 214 individuals out of which 42 per cent were currently engaged in horticulture production

Meanwhile, Dr Moatshe urged the graduates to be ready to rise to challenges as upon graduation, they would face more challenging environments, different from the setup at Glen Valley where everything was pre-arranged.

The CEO further challenged the 14 graduates to be innovative in their approach to farming emphasising that what was learnt in past nine months should be considered a matter of fulfilling the certification requirements rather than a call to practice modern agriculture.

Dr Moatshe also emphasised that there was a dire need for farmers to collaborate with LEA effectively to facilitate the upgrading of their farming produce and products.

Equally retailers should invest in agricultural schemes that enhanced quality products and output, he said.

Therefor,e he implored graduates to join the 40 per cent active in the market.

He further emphasised the need for them to continually improve individual role in ensuring that government achieves its goals of growing the economy and reducing unemployment.

Ms Pelonomi Petlwana, who was among the graduates, noted that being a farmer was hard but passing down the love of the land was priceless adding that it takes hard work and passion for one to succeed in farming business.

She called on sponsors and financial institutions to always consider them when they knock at their doors as they were ready and passionate to feed the nation. ENDs