27 Mar 2022

 The country’s agricultural sector has been challenged to generate ideas towards its revival to ensure the country attained food security following disruptions of food supply chains by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking during a four-day leadership retreat for the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security in Mahalapye on Friday, minister Mr Karabo Gare said the agricultural sector was one of key sectors earmarked to transform the country’s economy.

“There is no doubt that the ongoing pandemic has negatively impacted on the agricultural sector, which now calls for all of us to find ways through which the sector can be revived with properly defined value chains from production, distribution, logistics and retailing,” he said.

He said the pandemic had put unprecedented stress on agricultural production, bringing far-reaching disruptions both locally and internationally.

The minister expressed concern that the country was still highly dependent on food imports and had an open economy, saying this also had exposed it to volatile global markets.

Mr Gare encouraged his ministry leadership to unleash their full potential and have productive deliberations that would help enhance productivity.

The retreat was themed: Re-imagine, Re-tune and Re-define Agriculture towards a transformed and globally competitive sector. ENDS