21 Nov 2022

Government has identified beekeeping as one of the commodities that can create jobs and generate foreign exchange in the diversification of the economy.

As such, the recently launched Agriculture Farmer Field School (FFS) at Phokoje lands near Selebi Phikwe has been recognised as one of the facilities that could go a long way in increasing value chain in honey production. The school, is a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and FAO.

“I believe beekeeping farmer field school will help a great deal in bringing together small scale food producers within the region to share ideas and come with creative ideas to confront production problems through sustainable agriculture,” Food Agricultural Organisation (FAO) official Ms Lesedi Mmopelwa said during the launch.

Ms Mmopelwa said beekeeping field school initiative was aligned to the country’s Economic Recovery Transformational Plan post COVID-19 pandemic as well as the RESET Agenda which speaks to the creation of jobs along the commodity value chains.

She added that in 2020 FAO together with the government through the agric ministry launched a Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) of strengthening the local apiculture value chain through coordination and capacity development. She said the objective of TCP was to comprehend and address the main constraints and challenges in the honey value chain in Botswana.

Ms Mmopelwa said agriculture remained a necessary precondition for the economic emancipation of any society. On that note, she said it was everybody’s responsibility to ensure that the country produced enough food to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

SPEDU Agribusiness services manager Mr Maiba Samunzala encouraged beekeepers to make use of the field school to strengthen their skills in beekeeping to increase honey production in the country. He said the field school would help improve the livelihood of people around SPEDU region.

Chief Animal Scientific Officer Ms Peggy Motakele thanked FAO for donating equipment to the school as a contribution towards farmers’ improved learning skills in beekeeping. 

Ms Motakele said as farmers engage in improved production, they would also address shortage of honey produced in the country. Only 14.3 metric tonnes of honey is produced in the country against the 62 metric tonnes.

She said this was the opportunity for farmers to embark on the beekeeping businesses to close the gap. ends