06 Jul 2023

Ministry of Agriculture will soon launch Temo Letlotlo programme.

This is in an effort to by government to revolutionise agriculture and spur the sector onward contribution to the national purse.

Assistant Minister of Agriculture Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi told a kgotla meeting addressed by the President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in Sese on Wednesday that it was intended through the impending programme, a replacement of the now-defunct ISPAAD, to commercialise agriculture.

While he could not divulge further information on the initiative as it was yet to be duly unveiled and launched by the president, he implored farmers to wait in readiness to benefit from the programme the moment it took off.

Mr Molebatsi assured Sese residents that government would continue to do its utmost to develop and grow the beef sub-sector, especially after indications had shown a decline in the country’s cattle population.

Urging farmers to remain resolute towards making their farming ventures successful, the assistant minister said their commitment to helping Botswana attain self-sufficiency was commendable.

Entrepreneurship minister Mr Karabo Gare said the ministry was ready to assist entrepreneurs, those in the agriculture sector included, to derive most out of their business pursuits to enable them make a meaningful contribution to the country’s economic growth.

He said presently the ministry was working on a framework for Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB) and the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) to work together in servicing their clients.

In his comments a member of Maiteko Crop Farmers Association Mr Mabalane Maboane asked that information on the envisaged Temo Letlotlo programme be made available so that farmers could position themselves to make use of the initiative.

“Maikaelelo a rona ke go lepalepana le Pandamatenga le Mosisedi mo go ntsheng dijo. Re sale re emetse Temo Letlotlo, jaanong tlhalosang ka lenaneo le re tle re ipaakanye,” he said, indicating their association’s readiness to be counted among the best in producing food for the country.  

Another farmer Mr Moshe Gare decried the tendency by some Batswana to acquire land for agricultural purposes only for them to sell it.

He said to deter such practices, government should consider requiring applicants for land rights to pay a certain fee prior to them being allocated land, saying the free allocation of land, especially in respect of land for agricultural purposes, resulted in even those with no interest in farming being eligible for land allocation. ends