18 Aug 2022

Botswana Agricultural Sciences Professional Association’s (BASPA) formation comes at an opportune time for strengthening and uplifting the country’s agricultural sector, says Minister of Agriculture, Mr Fidelis Molao.

“We witnessed major disruptions of food supply chains in the wake of the lockdowns triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and a global economic meltdown was experienced.

 Slowly but surely we have reason to continue to do our best in the agricultural space to provide food for our country,” he said at the organisation’s launch in Gaborone yesterday

 Mr Molao said the agricultural development agenda should not be left to government alone but everyone needed to make it their priority.

Government, private sector, non-governmental organisations and development partners alike should forge ties towards the sector’s development, he said.

Mr Molao said government should be seen as an enabler creating room for businesses and intervening through policies and programmes.

 He said with the country’s intension of transforming into a knowledge-based economy, BASPA should play its primary role of putting into practice knowledge and techniques in order to contribute to the nation’s economic development. 

For his part, BASPA president, Mr Mbiganyi Taka said its vision was to revive the country’s agriculture through empowered professionals.

“We have made a deliberate decision to review our membership and network portfolios which initially encompassed only those with the agricultural qualification,” he said. 

Mr Taka said among the organisation’s  objectives was the urgent need to teach and expose members to the radical methods of generating self-employment in agriculture.

In addition, he said BASPA sought to provide for the exchange and impartation of knowledge, skills and experience among members. 

He revealed that BASPA was Botswana Qualifications Authority  accredited as an education and training provider.

The organisation’s  services and activities included research, capacity building and training, promotion of effective agricultural policy implementation and positioning as a science as well as a sector for job and wealth creation, explained Mr Taka.

The launch was held under the theme, Harnessing the skills and knowledge of agricultural professionals for the development of Botswana’s agricultural industry. Ends