16 Feb 2023

The Ministry of Agriculture continues to make efforts to review utilisation of pieces of land with the view to avail it to farmers for productive use.

This was said by Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi when responding to a parliamentary question on Wednesday.

“Regarding facilitation of access to land to benefit from the Impact Accelerator Subsidy (IAS) some provision were made for farmers to lease land to benefit from the import ban imposed on some vegetables,” said Mr Molebatsi.

He added that the ministry was working in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs on issues related to agricultural land use, which included leasing or subleasing of agricultural land, registration surveying and subdivision of agricultural land as well as advertising through the tender process to facilitate allocation of agricultural land.

Gaborone North Member of Parliament, Mr Mpho Balopi had asked the minister to state if he was aware that efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency were currently frustrated by inadequate access to land for capable and willing Batswana.

Mr Balopi also wanted to know if there were efforts to collaborate with Batswana to improve food production and whether there were strategies with the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs to fast-track services such as change of land ownership and use. Ends