21 Sep 2023

The Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is capacitating horticultural farmers on wastewater irrigation standards.

Party to the initiative themed: Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) using wastewater/effluent water on vegetable production is the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS).

Speaking during the training session in Gaborone on Wednesday, FAO representative, Ms Modo Lesedi, said the training sought to empower farmers with knowledge and skills to thrive in a dynamic agricultural landscape.

“This initiative not only addresses the immediate challenges but also contributes to the long-term resilience and prosperity of the horticulture sector in Botswana. It is a pivotal step towards achieving food security and sustainability in Botswana’s horticulture sector,” she said.

Ms Lesedi said the recent incident involving a horticulture farmer using wastewater to clean farm produce served as a reminder of challenges faced by consumers.

She observed that this was an issue that demanded immediate attention and active collaboration of all relevant stakeholders -- hence the training.

She said the use of wastewater in crop production if not managed properly could pose serious threats to food safety and public health, citing that as FAO they were committed to taking a proactive approach to tackling this issue head-on.

She reminded farmers of their power to make a difference in their communities, and in the lives of those who rely on the fruits of their labour.

Therefore, she said, by adopting and implementing the knowledge and skills gained from the training, they had the potential to transform the way they farm, ensuring the safety and quality of their produce while conserving precious water resources.

She encouraged the farmers to become ambassadors of responsible agricultural practices by sharing newfound knowledge with fellow farmers and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to promote food safety.

“Anchored in its strategic framework 2022-31, FAO is committed to supporting the Botswana government by facilitating the transition toward more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems, with a firm commitment to leave no one behind,” she said.

The Principal Agricultural Engineer in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Mpho Thaga, weighed the pros and cons of using effluent water which is mostly wastewater from sewers or industrial outfalls that flowed directly into surface waters, either untreated or after being treated at a facility.

Mr Thaga said wastewater use in agriculture was reliable for irrigation and providing nutrients for cultivating crops, citing that it also provided biomass which improved soil structure, as well as being an alternative form of water supply to reduce pressure on freshwater resources.

He said although this was the case, farmers should be cognizant of the risks associated with using effluent for irrigation purposes.

To reduce the import bill and increasing food security in Botswana, he urged farmers to implore quality assurance standards for good quality produce.

He added that effluent may contain pathogens if not properly treated and could be a source of heavy metals to crops which were not desirable. Mr Thaga said some of it may damage the soil structure if laden with salts and might have high contents of some elements that may impact on absorption of other elements.

From the study conducted by Pinagare Consulting Engineers as contracted by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2014, a number of sites were identified for the development of irrigation using treated wastewater most of which were in the urban centres.

These, he said, included Glen Valley, Gaborone; Radihemelo, Serowe; Mahibitswane, Palapye; and Mahalapye, Mahalapye.

Mr Thaga said there existed a naturally occurring cluster along Notwane River whose main source of irrigation water was treated effluent from Glen Valley Waste Water Treatment Works.

He said there were challenges to using effluent water which included a high risk of pollutants by illegal dumping or discharging into both the influent and effluent water streams.

He added that improper use of treated wastewater by the farmers could result in a serious challenge.

Therefore, he urged farmers to conduct regular inspections of waste treatment facilities and clean and test all produce for quality control. ENDs