30 May 2022

Some exhibitors have hailed the return of the Business Botswana Northern Trade Fair for creating a platform to market their goods and services after two years of no show due to COVID 19 outbreak.

The fair, themed Accelerating the Rise of the Digital Economy which ended on Sunday in Francistown, attracted about 150 exhibitors. 

The fair initially launched in 2014, was last hosted in 2018. Its return gave exhibitors a sigh of relief as they have been uncertain about it. One of the exhibitors, Ms Maicah Magwaneng of Bokhurutsi ward in Tonota, who presented sweet melon (Marotse) said the return of the fair will boost the Francistown local economy which was hard hit by the closure of the mines in 2011.

“We are happy because it had finally returned against our expectations and we must thank the organisers of Business Botswana to have taken such a bold decision,” he added.

Ms Magwaneng explained that the week-long trade fair which started on May 25, provided a good platform for livestock show, open forum for farmers as well as a market place or exhibition area for both livestock and arable farmers.

Another exhibitor, Mr Biki Baraedi of New Look vegetable from Ditladi in the North East District shared the same sentiments adding that the return of the fair was welcomed, especially concerning food security, as a large scale of agribusiness had potential to grow the economy.

He was of the view that farmers in the northern part of Botswana should focus fully on the economic value of their crops and animals.

“Standing on our own as a nation means feedings ourselves,” said Mr Baraedi.

He explained that though COVID-19 had a negative impact on vegetable production, farmers should not despair but rather persevere. 

However, he was quick to state that vegetable farmers in the Ditladi cluster have a challenge of transporting their farm produce to the market due to poor status of roads. 

He therefore, called on the government to consider upgrading the road to bitumen standard to enable farmers to access markets with ease.

For his part, the secretary of Litabamoyo small stock association management near Masunga, Mr Phatsimo Nchokochi advised livestock farmers to go commercialise instead of subsistence farming. 

“I think is high time that we take livestock farming seriously because it has proved to be economically viable,” he added.

He said that government was in full support of the small stock industry development evidenced by President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s small stock initiative in which he donated rams and bucks to prospective farmers.

However, he said despite small stock production having good and quick returns, COVID-19 has taught many farmers to diversify their businesses. 

“We need to change our mindset and think outside the box because there is no business that can sustain itself without the support of another,” he added.

Mr Nchokochi said the discovery of a very lucrative market by President Masisi in the middle east and Asia was a good opportunity for livestock farmers to do more and increase their livestock numbers by double.

He said the North East District was an ideal area for small stock production as the grazing land was not adequate for bigger animals such as cattle.

Mr Nchokochi appealed to the youth to take advantages of trade fairs to market their products and improve their living standards.

He said the youth, who made the larger part of the population, were faced with a lot of serious challenges, especially unemployment, adding that such could come in handy.  

During the official opening Japanese Ambassador Mr Takashi Hoshiyama encouraged participants at the fair to make use of technology to grow their enterprises.

He said globalisation and digital economy made people informative and made access to goods and commodities across the border easier.

“In globalization and digital economy, the world becomes one as countries joins one another by mutual understanding through treaties and free trade,” he said.

Business Botswana President Mr Gobusamang Keebine urged those with undeveloped plots to develop and lease them for business production.

He said time was now for Batswana to produce their own food noting that essential food commodities more especially maize meal and flour were expected to rise.

Mr Keebine said the fair focused on economic growth and provided opportunity for dialogue in line with Vision 2036.

“The success of business is critical in a developing economy like ours,” he said and urged the business community to ask themselves how they were contributing to the growth of the economy. Ends