08 Nov 2022

Member of Parliament for Tonota, Mr Pono Moatlhodi has suggested that tractor owners should ploughing for subsistence farmers.

This he said would help the country in attaining food security.   

He said government had for long been provided subsidy for farmers, and therefore it was time  that tractor owners should  also plough for farmers.

He was speaking at Agricultural Mechanism Association (TAMA) recently.

Chairperson of Tonota Agricultural Mechanism Association Mr Reuben Motswakae decried high prices of diesel saying government failed to subsidised fuel.

Mr Motswakae said the government’s subsidy was inadequate to compensate tractor owners.He said they recommended ploughing for about P800, harrowing for over P600 and planting also for about P600.

He said the cost of maintaining farming implements such as ploughs, harrows, planters as well as servicing tractors was high.

He also said the price of diesel has skyrocketed from about P10 in 2011 to over P17.

Many tractor owners also agreed that the ISPAAD subsidy was low. Some said they were still re-paying their tractor loans. ENDS