21 Mar 2022

A total of 9 831 beneficiaries have benefited from the Livestock Development and Infrastructure Development (LIMID) since April 2020.

Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi told Parliament recently that out of the 9 831 beneficiaries, 273 were from Serowe South, and those who were funded under small stock production in the constituency were 224. Twenty-five were for chicken production and only one for water development, while 13 were funded under Animal Husbandry and Forest Support.

Mr Molebatsi said those who benefited through the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agricultural Development (ISPAAD) in 2021 were 90 892 while those who had benefited so far during the current financial year totalled 73 481.

Under Horticulture (Impact Accelerator Subsidy), he said 96 applications were approved while 45 applicants were yet to pay deposit.

Furthermore, he said there was no scheme that had been suspended.

However, the ministry was still in the process of reviewing ISPAAD, which would be introduced in June.

He said amendment of programmes was something that could be done at any time with the assistance of Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis.

Mr Molebatsi was answering a question from Serowe South MP, Mr Leepetswe Lesedi, who wanted to know the number of people who had benefited from various government schemes or programmes such as LIMID and ISPAAD since April 2020.

Mr Lesedi also wanted to know if there were some scheme or programme that had been suspended or upgraded and rolled out to cushion the poor and unemployed against the impact of COVID-19. Ends