12 Jun 2022

Vice President, Mr Slumber Tsogwane on Friday visited local vegetable farmers’ market organised by Farmers Union at Gaborone main mall. 

Mr Tsogwane said he visited the farmers to encourage them to keep up the good work they were doing in feeding the nation. 

He said for development to happen, active economic activities such as farming needed to prosper. 

Government, he said, was eager to see horticulture develop to a point where the country was able to produce all that it needed. 

He cited Mogobane Irrigation Scheme as among government’s efforts to encourage horticulture. 

Mr Tsogwane said while the scheme was in the past challenged, adequate management checks would this time around ensure it delivered. 

Among the VP’s delegation was Assistant Minister of Agriculture Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi, who said agriculture was central to the country’s economic development. 

He said for Botswana to achieve its Vision 2036 aspirations it should be able to feed itself. 

Mr Molebatsi said to encourage farmers, government had imposed restrictions on importation of vegetables. 

This, he said, had seen an increase in tonnage of locally produced vegetables. 

Mr Molebatsi said although there were issues of quality with regard to local produce, such would be addressed as time went by. 

Farmers United sales and marketing officer, Ms Oma Dube said in an interview later, that the VP’s visit was proof that government recognised their efforts. 

Ms Dube said given opportunity, local producers could feed the country. 

She said before the restrictions on importation of vegetables many of the farmers would plant, only for their produce to rot in their farms due to lack of market, while retailers imported the same food items. 

As such restricting imports was good for the country,  and would enable it to achieve vegetable self-sustainability, she said. 

Ms Dube said the union existed to support local horticulture farmers by marketing their produce.  

She added it held market days once a month at Gaborone main mall. 

Union members, she said, were from all over country, and that new members were welcome. BOPA